A federal appeals court allowed a Trump administration rule that would cut Planned Parenthood funding to go forward while it considers the rule at greater length.
A panel of judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday denied a motion to restore a lower court injunction of the administration’s Title X rule, allowing it to take effect until the full panel of judges decides whether to stop or allow the full implementation of the rule.
“We are greatly encouraged to see the Ninth Circuit rule in favor of allowing President Trump’s Protect Life Rule to take effect while it continues to be litigated,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group the Susan B. Anthony List.
Trump’s rule, which would prevent Title X family planning funding from going to abortion providers or to clinics that refer patients to abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood facilities, has been in litigation since its March introduction.
Thursday’s decision comes after abortion rights groups won a temporary halt to the rule on July 3 after a panel of three Republican judges in late June allowed the rule to go into effect, overruling a federal judge in Washington who, in April, blocked the Title X rule.
The rule garnered fierce outcry from abortion rights activists when it was announced. Abortion rights groups call it a “gag rule” and say it would limit access to health services for low-income women.
When introducing the new Title X rule, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said it will be a “statutory prohibition on funding programs where abortion is a method of family planning.”
Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood, tweeted Thursday: “This is devastating news. While we are incredibly concerned the panel did not recognize the harm of the Trump-Pence administration’s gag rule, we will not stop fighting for the millions across the country in need for care.”
Planned Parenthood operates about 40% of all Title X clinics in the country.
