House to Vote on Bill Letting States Stop Title X Funding to Planned Parthood

In an 11th hour move late last year, the Obama Administration re-wrote the federal guidelines on Title X grants to line the pockets of Planned Parenthood.

The widely criticized Obama rule change effectively nullified laws passed in 13 states since 2011 that had sought to stop Title X grant money. These states determined not to finance the nation’s largest abortion provider, an organization beset with scandal and international outrage over its practice of harvesting and selling baby body parts.

The House is now poised to vote on a bill that would revoke the Obama rule change. If passed in both the House and Senate, the bill will allow states to determine for themselves whether or not to fund Planned Parenthood through Title X, a move than is certain to cut millions of dollars in government funding to the abortion giant.

While Planned Parenthood receives taxpayer funding from a variety of different sources, Title X grant programs are the second most important source of federal funding for the abortion giant after Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that Planned Parenthood and its affiliates receive approximately $60 million every year through Title X. [1] According to the Government Accountability Office, Planned Parenthood received over $200 million in Title X family planning grants between 2010-2012. [2]

Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, takes the lives of over 320,000 unborn children every year. The abortion organization also routinely flouts government regulations and is involved in lobbying in other countries to legalize abortion.

To overturn the Obama rule change, the House is utilizing a little-known legislative maneuver under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) which allows Congress to revoke or modify regulations issued by federal departments or agencies for up to 60 days (not counting times when Congress adjourns for more than 3 days). Under the CRA, legislation is fast-tracked and, under certain circumstances, can’t be filibustered.

Title X is a federal grant program that provides free contraceptives and contraceptive services (for those who qualify) on the taxpayer’s dime. Title X grant programs are administered through the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Population Affairs. According to the Guttmacher Institute,[3] Title X accounted for nearly 10% of public funding for contraception services in 2010—Medicaid and healthcare plans purchased under the Affordable Care Act provide the overwhelming majority of domestic government funding for contraception.

Under the Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations, federal regulations were in place that prevented Title X recipients from counseling, referring, or advocating for abortion with their clients. The Clinton administration, however, changed the rule in 2000 to allow Title X recipients to counsel and refer their clients for an abortion.

The earlier rules prohibiting abortion counseling in Title X programs were upheld by the Supreme Court in Rust v. Sullivan. Nevertheless, subsequent administrations have failed to restore the rule. A restoration of the Reagan-Bush era regulations preventing Title X recipients from promoting abortion would undoubtedly save many unborn lives.

Congress can easily rectify this shortcoming by removing the amendment to the Title X family planning appropriations authorized for the Health and Resources Administration in the next labor, health, & education appropriations act.