Planned Parenthood to lose millions in federal funding due to new Trump rule

by | Aug 14, 2019 | Policy

Planned Parenthood stands to lose millions of dollars in funding following a Trump Administration rule change that would force the nonprofit to withdraw from a federal grant program that helps provide healthcare to low-income families. 

Known as Title X, the federal grant program provides more than 4 million poor and working class families with access to contraceptives and other healthcare needs. 

The new Trump rule change announced earlier this year prohibits Title X funds from going to organizations that provide or refer patients for an abortion. On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood announced that it would be forced to withdraw from the Title X program next week, unless a federal court intervenes to block the rule change at the request of Planned Parenthood.

The healthcare nonprofit provides birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, as well as other important health services unrelated to abortion. 

“We refuse to let the Trump administration bully us into withholding abortion information from our patients,” Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement. “The gag rule is unethical and dangerous, and we will not subject our patients to it.”

The Trump administration isn’t the only government deadset on opposing Planned Parenthood. A new state law signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott this past legislative session will block government entities from partnering with abortion providers. Starting Sept. 1, the new law will block state, county, and city taxpayer money from going to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. 

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