A panel of federal appeals court judges ruled on Thursday that a Trump administration family planning “gag rule” that could cut as much as $60 million in Title X funds from Planned Parenthood could go into effect immediately.
The decision is a major setback for the women’s health-care provider and for 21 state attorneys general who filed lawsuits shortly after the policy was published in March, arguing it would undermine the patient-provider relationship and endanger the health of millions of women.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar called the decision “a major step toward the Trump administration being able to ensure that all Title X projects . . . do not support abortion as a method of family planning.”
But Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called the news “devastating” for the millions of women who rely on the program for services such as cancer screenings, HIV tests and birth control, and said the organization would immediately appeal.
21 States To File Suit To Block Trump Administration’s Abortion ‘Gag Rule’ In Family Planning Program
In addition to Oregon, the states participating in the multistate lawsuit are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. The District of Columbia is also a party to the suit.
