President Donald Trump has continued to implement policies championed by the pro-life community, signing a law on Thursday that will allow states to deny family planning funds to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.
The move, which is attracting widespread support among pro-life advocates and stirring intense frustration among pro-choicers, was essentially a roll-back of a regulation that former President Barack Obama put into place, as The Associated Press reported.
.@POTUS' #ProLife #Easter gift: #WhiteHouse diverts tax dollars from #PlannedParenthood. https://t.co/tkEiUQIOXX @JenniferWishon pic.twitter.com/01U3vyA8DU
— CBN News (@CBNNews) April 13, 2017
The House and Senate passed a resolution under the Congressional Review Act — a provision that permits Congress to ax new rules and regulations — to undo the Obama-era rule that sought to prevent states from pulling Title X funds (which are distributed through federal grants to states) from capable family planning organizations, such as Planned Parenthood, according to Reuters.
Even before this latest move, Title X funds couldn’t be directly used for abortion services, but the Obama-era regulation, which wasn’t put into effect until the final days of Obama’s presidency, told states that they couldn’t withhold money from a clinic or health care provider that offered family planning services simply based on the fact that some providers offer abortion services.
Instead, the only viable reason for withholding funding was an inability to provide those essential family planning services, as The New York Times noted.
Below, see how those favorable of Trump’s move are reacting:
Thank you, @realDonaldTrump! Today, Trump signed into law a bill allowing states to defund Planned Parenthood. https://t.co/Gi306iiFU6
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) April 13, 2017
This is a major pro-life victory. Another Congressional Review Act bill is now law. https://t.co/1vAjJjcu3B
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) April 13, 2017
Thank you @POTUS for signing H.J. Res. 43, undoing Obama's pro-abortion rule & allowing states to defund Planned Parenthood! #ProLife? pic.twitter.com/bBguYb9WkY
— Susan B Anthony List (@SBAList) April 13, 2017
Others, though, aren’t too favorable of his decision to grant states more jurisdiction over funding:
Congress & Trump admin removed #TitleX rule:
– without debate
– without a majority
– & signed behind closed doorshttps://t.co/ePLeIUcaOq pic.twitter.com/dAbFJpujFu— Planned Parenthood (@PPact) April 13, 2017
Trump & Congress have been attacking women's health & rights since day one. We must get louder: https://t.co/rYcj9bBOzD #ResistanceRecess pic.twitter.com/vlGJWmn95Y
— Planned Parenthood (@PPact) April 13, 2017
62,000 CT residents rely on Planned Parenthood for care. I'm going to keep fighting in Congress against any attempt to defund them.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 13, 2017
Planned Parenthood provides 270,000 + Pap tests and 360,000+ breast exams in a single year, critical services in detecting cancer.
— David Yankovich (@DavidYankovich) April 13, 2017
As Faithwire previously reported, Trump has taken a number of pro-life steps in his presidency thus far, including stripping $32.5 million in funding from a U.N. agency over abortion and sterilization concerns and reinstating Ronald Reagan’s Mexico City policy — a ban on federal funding or aid to international nonprofits that provide or promote abortion by offering patients information about the procedure.
And the Trump administration reportedly previously made an unofficial offer to Planned Parenthood to preserve federal funding if the controversial women’s organization pledged to stop performing abortions — an offer the group promptly rejected.
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