WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump signed a resolution on Thursday that will allow states to withhold Title X family planning funds from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.
The resolution overturns a Health and Human Services rule enacted by the Obama administration last year that prevents states from defunding Planned Parenthood or other health providers for any reason other than the provider’s lack of “ability to deliver services to program beneficiaries in an effective manner.”
Now, states can withhold federal family planning grants from providers because they offer abortion, even though the longstanding Hyde Amendment prevents any federal money from being used to pay for abortion.
The Senate narrowly passed the resolution at the end of March after Vice President Mike Pence was summoned to break a tie vote. Two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), broke with their party and opposed the measure.
“If you’re serious about trying to reduce the number of abortions,” Collins said after the vote, “the best way to do that is to make family planning more widely available.”
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