Court Ruling Sets Stage for President Trump to Cut Federal Planned Parenthood Funding

  |  
Jun 20, 2019

President Donald Trump will be able to cut between $50 million to $60 million in Title X funds slated for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers following an appeals court ruling in his administration’s favor on Thursday.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Trump administration’s request to remove national injunctions imposed over the entire state of California and by lower federal courts in Oregon and Washington state was lawful, and they will now be cleared to impose their new proposed rules.

“Absent a stay, HHS will be forced to allow taxpayer dollars to be spent in a manner that it has concluded violates the law, as well as the Government’s important policy interest in ensuring that taxpayer dollars do not go to fund or subsidize abortions,” wrote the judges, who were all appointed by Republican former presidents, in a 3-0 opinion.

Based on the SCOTUS ruling Rust v. Sullivan (1991), the Trump administration expects to be able to change the regulations without any problem.

Trump’s “Protect Life Rule” will deny federal funds under Title X to family planning organizations that also provide abortions. Abortion providers will have to completely separate their family planning services financially in order to keep receiving federal funds under the new regulations.

“The Protect Life Rule does not cut family planning funding by a single dime, and instead directs tax dollars to entities that provide healthcare to women but do not perform abortions,” SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said to LifeNews.

“We thank President Trump and Health & Human Services Secretary Azar for their numerous actions to restore pro-life policies,” National Right to Life president Carol Tobias said to LifeNews. “We are encouraged to see the announcement of Title X regulations that are back in line with previous policy that prevents federal dollars from being used to directly or indirectly promote abortion domestically.”

Title X funds were meant to assist low-income Americans get access to cancer screenings, contraceptives, and other essential healthcare services. It has since expanded to give subsidies to abortion providers after the Clinton administration relaxed Reagan-era regulations that prevented abortion referrals except when it may endanger the life of the mother. Because of Trump, that is no more.

On the issue of protecting life, President Trump is living up to his promise.

Our Latest Articles