In an effort to protect women’s health and family planning clinics, the Obama administration finalized a rule on Wednesday that prohibits states from defunding clinics – such as Planned Parenthood – for political reasons.
Protecting Women’s Health
This new rule was first proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services back in September. In short, it prevents states from withholding Title X federal family planning funds from health clinics that provide these services. The only way state or federal funds can be withheld is if the provider’s effectiveness is called into question.
Dr. Karen Scott, the chief medical officer at the Department of HHS, says:
“[This rule] clarifies that all organizations able to provide these services should be eligible to compete for funds.”
Planned Parenthood currently receives about $70 million a year in Title X grants, strictly to provide birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment for poor and uninsured patients. Federal law currently blocks the use of public money for abortions.
Republicans Attack Planned Parenthood
However, this fact has not stopped Republican lawmakers from attempting to cut public funding from Planned Parenthood. Over a dozen GOP governors and state legislatures have tried to block Medicaid funding from going towards Planned Parenthood clinics in their states. Luckily, almost all of these defunding actions have been challenged in court, and many have been struck down.
This new rule will not completely protect family planning clinics like Planned Parenthood once President-elect Donald Trump comes into office. Under the Congressional Review Act, which creates a 60-day hold period on presidential regulations, Trump’s anti-abortion administration will most likely attempt to reverse it.
But now that President Barack Obama has put this rule in place, it’s at least out in the open and in effect. If Trump tries to strike it down, we’ll need to encourage our politicians to make this action as difficult as possible. As president of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richard says:
“The fight is not over… We will not back down, and we will continue to fight for our patients’ access to care. Every person deserves the right to control their own bodies, their own health, and their own well-being without politicians getting in the way.”
Watch the video below to see Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards shutdown a Republican presenting bogus information in a Congressional hearing:
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