By Stephanie C., policy manager for Family Policy Alliance®
A few months back, nearly 8000 of you sent emails through our action center to President Trump and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, urging them to create rules that will ensure Title X taxpayer funding does not go to abortion providers.
On June 1st, the Department of Health and Human Services (responding to the concerns of millions of Americans) proposed a new rule, “The Protect Life Rule.” If adopted, this rule will have a significant impact on prohibiting the tide of Title X funds going to abortion clinics—especially Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.
Family Policy Alliance submitted a public comment urging HHS to pass the “Protect Life Rule,” joined by many of our state family policy council allies, in strong support of the new rule and on behalf of our constituents. You can read our Official Comment here and look for your state!
Title X is a grant program intended to provide funding for family planning services. Family planning services refers to planning the number and spacing of children prior to pregnancy. The Title X statute explicitly prohibits funds from going to abortion clinics. Yet, during the Clinton Administration, HHS passed rules that required family planning dollars to support abortion referrals and abortion counseling. In addition, family planning dollars have been used by clinics that perform abortions, as long as that clinic claims they are using the money solely for family planning services.
In our official comment, we applauded HHS’s proposed “Protect Life Rule,” which would no longer allow abortion facilities to receive Title X dollars, even if they do provide “family planning services”. The rule will also prohibit clinics receiving Title X dollars from referring or counseling on abortion. Title X dollars must go to clinics that provide real family planning services. The more money abortion clinics receive, the less money is available for complete healthcare clinics that provide true preventive care, particularly those clinics in rural and underserved communities. Women and families seeking real preventive care are harmed when taxpayer money, that is intended to help them, is used by abortion providers to take life.
Like you, we are unapologetically prolife and support funding that truly empowers families to make healthy choices while receiving comprehensive preventive healthcare. This is why we strongly urge the HHS to adopt the new “Protect Life Rule”.
Visit our Action Center today and thank Secretary Alex Azar and President Trump for restoring prolife protections to the Title X program.
