The Trump administration announced a proposal Tuesday that would require certain clinics to “encourage” minors to receive parent consent when they are seeking abortions or birth control.
The proposal is part of a broader change to a grant program that provides testing, birth control and screenings for 4 million low-income people, known as Title X. Much of the plan, which had previously been disclosed, centers on cutting off funds to medical facilities that also perform abortions and removing a requirement that doctors refer patients to abortion doctors when they seek them.
The proposal announced Tuesday goes further, cutting off funding to facilities where doctors or nurses refer patients to abortions for the purpose of family planning, rather than in cases of rape, incest, or when a woman’s pregnancy endangers her life. Critics, including Planned Parenthood, call this provision a “gag rule” similar to a policy during the Reagan administration, which was never fully implemented.
“The result of this rule is that people will not get the health care they need,” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “They won’t get birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, or even general women’s health exams.”
The Trump administration is taking direct aim at Planned Parenthood through its proposal, though it also would affect other clinics or any patient under the program who goes to clinics seeking to discuss abortion with a doctor. The administration has defended its position by saying that funds should be diverted to community health centers. It also has pointed out that no change would be made to the amount of funding provided, which would remain at $286 million.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed the president for the rule and urged opponents to submit public comments to express their disapproval.
“Restricting which doctors and health care providers can get these vital funds will prevent far too many women from getting the medical care that they deserve, all so that Republicans can continue their war against Planned Parenthood and women’s reproductive rights,” the New York Democrat said.
The plan was announced several hours before President Trump was scheduled to speak at a prominent anti-abortion gala, the Susan B. Anthony List’s “Campaign for Life.” A Trump administration official said the proposal was another example of the president keeping his campaign promises.
[Related: Trump touts record anti-abortion achievements, slams Senate Dems at Susan B. Anthony dinner]
The proposal from the Trump administration involving minor disclosure may clash with state laws, which vary by age or type of reproductive healthcare, whether it be treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, maternity care, or abortion.
According to the research organization the Guttmacher Institute, 37 states require a parent to be involved in a minor’s decision to have an abortion, whether consent or notification, and 36 of the states have ways to bypass the laws with help from a judge. The District of Columbia and 26 states allow minors to consent to birth control beginning at the age of 12.
Under the proposal, filed by the Department of Health and Human Services, clinics also would be required to undergo training for working with minors who have faced abuse or molestation, or patients of all ages who are victims of trafficking, incest, sexual abuse, rape, or violence. The proposal would require doctors and nurses to adhere to state reporting laws to notify officials when they see patients who have been through these difficulties, and would require them to counsel patients about ways to resist people’s attempts to coerce them into sex.
The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have supported efforts to cut off federal funding from Planned Parenthood because the organization provides abortions. By law, federal funds can go toward abortions only in the cases of rape, incest or when a woman’s pregnancy threatens her life or health. But supporters of cutting off funds say that the provision of federal dollars frees up other money for the organization to provide abortions.
The anti-abortion organization March for Life cited this argument in its praise for the proposal.
“For decades the March for Life and others have been working to reinstate Title X regulations that clearly separate abortion from healthcare – abortion is not healthcare,” said Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life.
