Supreme Court agrees to review funds to abortion centers

Under the federal Protect Life rule, facilities that receive Title X family planning funds can’t offer or refer for abortions. The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear Cochran v. Mayor and the City Council of Baltimore over the constitutionality of the restriction.

How have courts ruled before? The justices decided to consider the case after federal appellate circuits disagreed on the constitutionality of blocking family planning funds from abortion facilities. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the law, while the 9th Circuit upheld it. Planned Parenthood dropped out of the Title X family planning program early last year rather than stop aborting babies after the Trump administration proposed the rule. President Joe Biden has instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to review the regulation.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Hickman’s report about pro-life pregnancy centers trying to decide whether to accept Title X funds.