TRUMP DELIVERS ON NEW PROTECT LIFE RULE
February 22, 2019 Abortion Funding
New Protect Life Rule—Similar to President Reagan’s Policy Ensures No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion in America’s Family Planning Program
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today applauded the Trump Administration’s final rule on the Title X Family Planning Program that protects the program from funding abortions.
“The Title X Program can now finally return to its originally intended purpose—the provision of family planning services, not abortions,” Smith said. “Title X funding was never intended to facilitate Planned Parenthood’s hideous dismemberment, chemical poisoning or deliberate starvation and forced expulsion of a defenseless unborn baby. There is nothing benign or compassionate about killing a defenseless child. I am grateful that the Trump Administration has affirmed human life and dignity with this pro-child rule.”
The new rule finalized on Friday, February 22, 2019, prohibits Title X projects from referring for abortions, requires Title X recipients to maintain physical and financial separation from abortion clinics—in other words, no co-location of Title X family planning clinics with abortion clinics—and better enforces compliance with abuse reporting requirements.
Prior to the finalized rule, the Title X Program operated under Clinton-era regulations that actively supported abortion by requiring grantees to make abortion referrals and by funding clinics that provide abortions.
“President Trump’s new ‘Protect Life Rule’ is a faithful implementation of both the spirit and letter of the original law that established the Title X Program and to the rule promulgated by President Ronald Reagan,” Smith said. “It is once again made clear that, in accordance with Title X of the Public Health Service Act, federal funds are prohibited from being spent on programs in which the violence of abortion is used a method of family planning.”
Rep. Smith is Chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. He led a letter by 153 Members requesting the rule, and led a House letter with 144 Members which, together with a Senate letter with 25 Senators, supported this final rule.Share
