House and Senate Democrats are blasting the Trump administration’s plan to keep certain doctors from discussing abortion with patients as “radical departure” from normal health care practices.
They were reacting to a new federal policy that cuts off federal funding to facilities where doctors or nurses refer patients for abortion in cases that don’t involve rape, incest or if the pregnant woman’s life is in danger.
[Related: Democrats warn Trump administration against abortion ‘gag rule’]
Women’s health and abortion provider Planned Parenthood has called the provision a “gag rule” that is similar to a policy introduced during the Reagan administration but not fully implemented, and Democrats agreed. The policy, which makes revisions to Title X family planning grants, also removes a prior mandate that doctors and healthcare providers refer patients to abortion providers when an abortion is sought by the patient.
“[A]ny nationwide gag rule prohibiting information flow between patients and health care providers represents a radical departure from how health care has operated in the United States and fundamentally erodes the right of patients to informed consent and the ability of health care providers to provide appropriate and adequate health care and information,” they declared in a resolution introduced Thursday.
Planned Parenthood cheered the resolutions from Democrats, even though there is no other recourse to eliminate the policy. Democrats also have no chance of seeing their resolution passed in the Republican-controlled House and Senate.
“These commonsense resolutions boldly claim that all patients will have full and complete medical information and the best care possible,” said Dana Singiser, vice president of public policy and governmental affairs for Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood centers make up about 13 percent of Title X health centers and serve 41 percent of the patients who get care via Title X family planning grants.
[Also read: Planned Parenthood leaves door open to lawsuit on Trump’s ‘gag rule’]
Democratic Sens. Patty Murray of Washington, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin signed the letter alongside Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette of Colorado, Barbara Lee of California, Joseph Crowley of New York, Nita Lowey of New York and Judy Chu of California.
