Trump pays off Planned Parenthood: the administration has proposed to reduce today Planned Parenthood's budget – live updates



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The Trump administration has just released a proposal to deny funding to Planned Parenthood through Title X, a leading federal program that provides family planning services to low-income women. This is the most concrete step taken by the administration to limit access to abortion since President Trump's inauguration.

In a 312-page filing on Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Health and Social Services proposed what abortion advocates have called a "gag rule". In its proposal, the agency wrote that "none of the funds earmarked for Title X can be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning".

If the rule comes into force, Planned Parenthood will be prohibited from receiving funds from the federal program. The change would have an impact on all clinics that support, perform or even refer patients to abortion services. Since the adoption of Title X in 1970, its funds have always been prohibited from paying for abortion services.

"Since the first day, the Trump administration, along with its anti-abortion and anti-contraception allies, have made it clear that they want to undermine and restrict people's access to family planning care." Kinsey Hasstedt, Policy Manager at the Guttmacher Institute, wrote to CBS News.

Title X was created to provide affordable reproductive care for women who would not otherwise be able to afford it. Last year, more than four million people resorted to Title X for health services, of which 41% benefited from Planned Parenthood services, according to a clinic.

Title X funds have never been allowed to pay for abortions, Hasstedt said. Instead, the money is used for wellness exams, STD and HIV screenings, birth control and contraceptive education, according to Planned Parenthood. The anti-abortion rights advocates argue that any money given to Planned Parenthood – even if it's not used for abortions – releases funds for the procedure.

Kellyanne Conway, adviser to President Trump, commented on the proposal to reporters on Friday afternoon, saying clinics offering health services to women should be "physically separated and financially separated" from those offering abortions.

"When the president says to fund Planned Parenthood, it's actually reallocating these funds to qualified women's health centers," Conway told reporters. She asserted that the rule would not affect the access of low-income women to medical services, as there were "18 to 20 community health clinics serving women but not do not provide for abortion for every single person in the country ".

The proposed rule will only come into force after its registration in the Federal Register and its 60-day period, unless the courts intervene.

"We expect that lawsuits challenging the rule and seeking to stop its application will be filed before those 60 days pass," Hasstedt said.

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