Planned Parenthood, the United States’ largest abortion provider, announced Monday that it will officially withdraw from the Title X program, resulting in a loss of nearly $60 million in taxpayer funding. The decision reflects the organization’s refusal to abide by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “Protect Life Rule,” issued earlier this year.
The Protect Life Rule prohibits Title X grantees from providing or referring patients for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or medical emergency. The rule also requires recipients of Title X federal family planning funds to be physically and financially separate from abortion operations.
In a statement to NPR, HHS officials said: “Every grantee had the choice to accept the grant and comply with the program’s regulations or not accept the grant if they did not want to comply. Some grantees are now blaming the government for their own actions—having chosen to accept the grant while failing to comply with the regulations that accompany it—and they are abandoning their obligations to serve their patients under the program.”
“This decision again reveals that providing abortions is [Planned Parenthood’s] top priority,” wrote Franklin Graham on Facebook. “American taxpayers should never have to fund this culture of death.”
Just last month, Planned Parenthood fired Dr. Leana Wen as its president and CEO after only eight months because she encouraged the organization to focus on women’s health comprehensively rather than almost exclusively pushing abortion.
“Planned Parenthood showed its true colors by prioritizing abortion over family planning, refusing to comply with the Protect Life Rule and dropping out of the Title X program,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. “President Trump’s Title X Protect Life Rule is a huge victory for the majority of taxpayers who reject taxpayer funding of abortion. The Protect Life Rule does not reduce family planning funding by a single dollar; it simply directs taxpayer funding to family planning providers who stay out of the abortion business. Women have the most to gain from this news. … This is a huge win for women’s health.”
The announcement came after Planned Parenthood submitted a letter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit petitioning the court to freeze the policy change, but on Friday the court refused to issue an emergency injunction.
“It’s a great day for women’s health in America,” said Catherine Glenn Foster, president and CEO of Americans United for Life. “Planned Parenthood is America’s deadliest nonprofit, and the news that they’re refusing to accept taxpayer funds to target vulnerable women is a good thing for women’s health. Women deserve the chance to live empowered, full lives that are free from the harms the Planned Parenthood poses through abortion and abortion-focused services. Women who need true healthcare will have their needs met by authentic and eager healthcare providers across America.”
Photo: Alamy.com