Trump administration moves to cut Planned Parenthood funding sooner

In May, the Trump Administration proposed adding the Protect Life Rule into the Department of Health and Human Services’ Title X Family Planning funding. As Live Action News’ Carole Novielli stated, “under the new rules, Title X projects will not be allowed to refer women for abortions. Any organization that receives family planning funds will also be required to keep facilities where abortions are committed separate from facilities where family planning care is provided.”

A final decision on this rule, which could technically defund Planned Parenthood to the tune of about $60 million annually (a mere drop in the bucket of Planned Parenthood’s half a billion yearly taxpayer dollars), is expected soon. But there has been a new development, and the abortion industry isn’t happy. The Hill writes:

The Trump administration on Wednesday shortened the funding period for grants awarded to organizations providing family planning services.

The Title X grants will fund groups that offer birth control, STD testing and other family planning services through March 2019. Previous funding lasted for three-year periods.

READ: Dear HHS: Every day Planned Parenthood is funded, more babies will die

The Hill adds that “[t]he change suggests the administration might be planning to wrap up” the old rule and bring in the new.

“Making the grants seven months long instead of three years would give HHS enough time to finalize its regulation,” adds The Hill, “after which it could award new grants to organizations more closely aligned with the administration’s views on abortion and contraception.”

Currently, there are many ways that taxpayers foot the bill for abortions, through both state and federal funding, despite the federal Hyde Amendment, which was designed to prevent most abortions from being funded with federal tax dollars. As The Hill notes, “While federal funding, including Title X grants, cannot go toward abortions, anti-abortion groups argue that any government funds received by Planned Parenthood indirectly support the procedure.”

Yes. Pro-lifers argue this because it’s true. Here’s how:

Taxpayer Funding of Abortion at Planned Parenthood

At the same time, HHS has just granted $125 million to 1,352 community health centers in the U.S. to “promote continued community health center improvements in the following categories: Expanding access to comprehensive care, improving care quality and outcomes, increasing comprehensive care delivery in a cost-effective way, addressing health disparities, advancing the use of health information technology, and delivering patient-centered care.”

The sooner Planned Parenthood is defunded, the better it will be for women. Frankly, women don’t need Planned Parenthood, and the organization’s plummeting patient and service numbers are proof of this. A corrupt organization that lies to women, commits more abortions than any other single organization in the nation, and returns women to their abusers and traffickers without reporting it doesn’t deserve taxpayer funding.