“Protect Life Rule” Given the Go Ahead in 9th Circuit

The historically liberal US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has ruled to allow the Trump Administration to put their plans into effect. These plans would prohibit certain providers from being eligible for federal family planning funds. One of the largest providers affected is Planned Parenthood. Abortion activists have been fighting such a rule from going into effect since President Trump announced his intentions to cut federal funding from abortion providers.

Abortion supporters have been especially animated since the election of Donald J. Trump in 2016.

The new directive takes effect in 60 days. The organizations that receive Title X funding will have 120 days to financially detach their family planning services from abortion procedures, with a deadline of 1 year to physically separate these facilities. The 9th Circuit ruling has a secondary effect that many are not discussing.

9th Circuit Judges

Photo courtesy LA Times

Planned Parenthood Supports Pro-Choice Candidates Financially

The political arm of Planned Parenthood, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, donates to many Democratic allies each time they are up for re-election. Those donations will likely be reduced now that this rule has been allowed to go into effect.

The most outspoken supporters of Planned Parenthood have been the recipients of Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund donations, and that is certainly part of the large outcry we are seeing today as a result of this decision. Planned Parenthood receives $50-$60 million in Title X funds each year, which is then routed through their political arm and donated to candidates who will be strongest supporters of the abortion giant.

What is Title X?

Title X was a fund created to help low income women and men gain access to birth control, cancer screenings and other health care services. While there was a rule indicating that these funds could not be used to pay for abortions, Planned Parenthood has been able to continue to receive these funds for other healthcare services they claim to provide.

But walk in to a Planned Parenthood and ask them for service or help that is unrelated to an abortion, and you will find that many of the talking points used over the last few decades to support them have been complete fabrications. Mammograms? Not provided. Want to keep your pregnancy? You are on your own, they refuse to even recommend other organizations that are there to provide support.

Excerpts From Title X

1001 – Title X Services

Grants under Section 1001 assist in the establishment and operation of voluntary family planning projects which provide a broad range of acceptable and effective family planning methods and related preventive health services. These services include natural family planning methods, infertility services, and services for adolescents; highly effective contraceptive methods, breast and cervical cancer screening and prevention services that correspond with nationally recognized standards of care; STD and HIV prevention education, counseling, testing, and referral; adolescent abstinence counseling; and other preventive health services. The broad range of services does not include abortion as a method of family planning.

1003 – Title X Training

Grants under Section 1003 provide training for personnel working in family planning services projects described under Section 1001. The purpose of this training is to promote and improve the delivery of family planning services.

1004 – Title X Research

Grants and contracts under Section 1004 provide for projects for research in the biomedical, contraceptive development, behavioral, and program implementation fields related to family planning and population. Projects under this Section conduct data analysis and related research and evaluation on issues of interest to the family planning field, as well as research into specific topic areas related to service delivery improvement. Research on male reproductive health has been a focus of applied research activities since 1997. All research activities funded under Section 1004 support ensuring and improving the quality of family planning services.

1005 – Title X Information and Education

Grants and contracts under Section 1005 provide for the development and dissemination of informational and educational materials including the OPA website and the Title X family planning clinic locator database.

1008 – The Prohibition of Abortion

None of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.

Speaking Up

Supporters of the “Protect Life Rule” are elated by the news. SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said “We are greatly encouraged to see the 9th Circuit rule in favor of allowing President Trump’s Protect Life Rule to take effect while it continues to be litigated” adding “A strong majority of Americans have consistently voiced their opposition to taxpayer funding of abortion – it is even unpopular among Democrats and self-described pro-choice Americans.”

“Without reducing Title X funding by a dime, the Protect Life Rule simply draws a bright line bewtween abortion and family planning, stopping abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood from treating Title X as their private slush fund. Similar regulations were upheld by the Supreme Court nearly 30 years ago. This is wonderful news, and we are more optimistic than ever that the Trump administration’s case will succeed.”

The CEO of Planned Parenthood, Dr. Leana Wen tweeted “This is devastating news. While we are incredibly concerned the panel did not recognize the harm of the Trump-Pence administration’s gag rule, we will not stop fighting for the millions across the country in need for care”. Planned Parenthood is not giving up anytime soon, and will likely file an appeal to the decision, which could bring this case in front of the Supreme Court for its final resolution.

Project Veritas and Life News Expose Planned Parenthood

These developments are coming during a time when Planned Parenthood has been in the news over their practices. Both Project Veritas and Life News have released undercover videos from facilities regarding the selling of body parts. In January 2019, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed the validity of those same undercover videos and allowed them to be submitted as evidence in their fight to defund the organization.

“In fact, the record reflects that OIG [the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General] had submitted a report from a forensic firm concluding that the video was authentic and not deceptively edited. And the plaintiffs did not identify any particular omission or addition in the video footage.

Moreover, the district court also suggested that there was no evidence that any of PPGC’s [Planned Parenthood] research was federally funded, so the regulations relied on by OIG might be inapplicable. But the record actually establishes that the UTMB study was funded by the National Institute of Health.”

Investigating Planned Parenthood

Just last month, Senators Lindsay Graham and Chuck Grassley sent a letter to US Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting an update on the investigation into the possible violations regarding the sale of aborted fetal tissue by Planned Parenthood and its partners in the biomedical research industry.

Abortion supporters have been especially animated since the election of Donald J. Trump in 2016. This will likely continue as these new regulations move through the courts to a final resolution. Stay tuned to New Right Network for updates on this story.