White House delays conscience protections

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) decided Friday to delay the implementation of new rules allowing medical workers to claim religious exemptions to performing abortions or other procedures that violate their consciences. The rules require agencies that receive federal funding to comply with about 25 laws codifying protections for religious workers.

Several states and cities across the country sued to block the new HHS rules shortly after President Donald Trump announced them in May. The Trump administration and opponents behind a lawsuit out of California mutually agreed Friday to delay a final ruling on the matter to Nov. 22. The city of San Francisco claimed that its healthcare programs would lose about $1 billion because of the rules, which were set to take effect Jul. 22. HHS called the delay “the most efficient way to adjudicate” the concerns, and a federal judge approved the decision Saturday.