Biden administration inches toward funding abortion

The Department of Health and Human Services reversed a Trump-era rule that prevented certain family planning clinics from referring patients to abortion centers. The move fulfills a promise President Joe Biden made one week after taking office, when he said he would change the policy back to the way it functioned under President Barack Obama. That will allow clinics that receive federal Title X family planning funds to partner with abortion providers, mainly Planned Parenthood. The new policy will take effect on Nov. 8. Any individual who opposes abortion will not have to provide referrals—an exception Planned Parenthood argued against.

What is Title X? The program uses taxpayer money to support clinics that offer birth control and basic health services to low-income women. Clinics that participated in the program are not allowed to use federal funds for abortions. President Donald Trump’s rule went a step further and said they could not send patients to abortionists or be located in a facility where abortions were performed. Planned Parenthood said its centers would now try to return to the program. The National Right to Life Committee criticized the rule as a step closer to taxpayer-funded abortion.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals about pro-life centers taking advantage of Title X federal funds.