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View Full Version : Obama Admin. Enacts Rule Preventing States from Defunding Planned Parenthood



jimnyc
12-15-2016, 02:42 PM
On Its Way Out, Obama Admin. Enacts Rule Preventing States from Defunding Planned Parenthood

(CNSNews.com) – The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a rule Wednesday that would block states from defunding abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.

The final version of the rule bans any recipient of Title X federal funding for family planning from excluding potential funding recipients “for reasons other than its ability to provide Title X services.”

HHS claimed that “In the past several years, a number of states have taken actions to restrict participation by certain types of providers as subrecipients in the Title X Program, unrelated to the provider’s ability to provide family planning services. This has caused limitations in the geographic distribution of services and decreased access to services.”

The rule was proposed in September and met opposition from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who - in a comment submitted to HHS - emphasized that the “stated purpose of this proposed addition is to prevent states from excluding providers such as Planned Parenthood from subawards based on state criteria.”

The bishops’ organization argued that “states should retain the discretion to determine which subrecipients are best suited to provide family planning services” and called the change “ill advised.”

The rule was also opposed by 18 senators and 90 members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who wrote that “HHS’s purpose for engaging in the rulemaking appears on its face to be an attempt to subvert the will of elected representatives.”

Rest here - http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/lauretta-brown/its-way-out-obama-admin-enacts-rule-preventing-states-defunding-planned