It is apparent Republicans failed to defund Planned Parenthood through their budget, so they are turning to smaller but significant efforts. Among these is the expected action by President Donald Trump to restrict Planned Parenthood or any organization who practices abortion from receiving funding from Title X. Title X is a “federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services,” or in simpler terms, the government subsidies to family-based healthcare centers.
The restrictions will prevent any organization from promoting abortion, or even referring a patient to have an abortion if they wish to keep their funding. If Trump’s expected decision fulfills itself, Planned Parenthood must choose between keeping their abortion business operating without Title X benefits, or receive Title X and stop abortions. It is confidently predicted that Planned Parenthood will pose a spoiled grievance with this moral versus monetary ultimatum.
“This proposal is outrageous,” said Planned Parenthood Vice President Dawn Laguens of the policy. “This is a domestic gag rule — and would be a radical departure from the way healthcare has operated in the United States until now. It would prohibit any health care provider from sharing information about, referring patients for, or even mentioning the word ‘abortion’ if they serve patients through Title X. This would have devastating consequences, and essentially dismantle the nation’s program for affordable birth control and reproductive health care, which 4 million people rely on. This policy is dangerous — it would keep women from having information, and from getting the best health care possible.”
Dawn Laguens is clearly infuriated by the efforts to defund her organization. She mentioned the “domestic gag rule,” a term used by the Democrats in 1988 to describe President Ronald Reagan’s restrictions on Title X.
Many believe this to be the cause of an all-out campaign by the pro-life movement to bring back the Reagan-era restrictions on family planning dollars to specifically disable Planned Parenthood, the largest of all abortion organizations. Republicans want this restriction to take place in order to move the moral majority to vote more confidently within their life-affirming virtues during the midterm elections. Once this moral majority sees progress sprouted by Republican politicians, they may find voting more important during the midterms to pass legislation which fits their agenda.
At the moment, the details behind the new restrictions for Title X are being discussed. Hopefully, the government will decide to stop using our hard-earned money to fund any organization that funds abortion. Abortion is not healthcare. Abortion is murder.
