by Mary Margaret Olohan
The Trump administration declared Monday that taxpayer-funded clinics must stop referring women for abortions effective immediately.
Family planning clinics that refer women for abortions will be stripped of their Title X funding, according to a measure instigated by President Donald Trump’s administration as reported by CBS News.
The Department of Health and Human Services has alerted clinics that they will be enforcing the Trump administration ban, according to CBS.
The rules now require that organizations that perform abortions and make abortion referrals will have to do so in separate buildings from those that receive Title X federal funds – a move could potentially cost Planned Parenthood “tens of millions of federal family planning dollars,” according to Politico.
“Our doors are still open,” said Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen in a statement. “We will not stop fighting for all those across the country in need of essential care.”
“We thank President Trump and Secretary Azar for acting decisively to stop taxpayer funding of the abortion industry, as willed by the American people,” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “A strong majority of Americans have consistently voiced their opposition to taxpayer funding of abortion – it is even unpopular among Democrats and self-described pro-choice Americans.”
Dannenfelser added that the SBA List is confident that the Trump administration will “ultimately prevail” in defunding Planned Parenthood.
But Clare Coleman, president of the umbrella group National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, thinks otherwise.
“The administration’s actions show its intent is to further an ideological agenda,” Coleman told CBS News.
Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins said implementing the abortion restrictions “makes sense” considering the funds “misused by abortion vendors to sell abortions to unsuspecting women.”
“Planned Parenthood has violated the spirit of the Title X family planning program for years by collecting millions of dollars while they marketed abortion,” Hawkins added.
“Pregnancy is not a disease cured by abortion, and ending the connection between abortion and family planning is a victory for commonsense healthcare.”
The announcement follows the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejection of bids to temporarily block a rule on federal funding for abortion clinics Thursday. The appeals court let a June 20 decision stand by a 7-4 vote, allowing the Trump administration to strip federal funding of clinics that fail to comply with its Title X regulations.
This is devastating news. While we are incredibly concerned the panel did not recognize the harm of the Trump-Pence administration’s gag rule, we will not stop fighting for the millions across the country in need for care.
Help us fight back: https://t.co/NlB9R5IxNK #ProtectX https://t.co/dlE5Au5YPl
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) July 11, 2019
The White House did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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Mary Margaret Olohan is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Planned Parenthood” by Fibonacci Blue. CC BY 2.0.
