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Thursday, February 15, 2018

President Trump Proposes Budget With Numerous Pro-Life Provisions


By Jennifer Popik 
J.D. Director of Federal Legislation
National Right to Life


Earlier this week, President Donald Trump proposed a budget request for fiscal year 2019 containing multiple pro-life provisions. Several key elements include defunding certain abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, as well as prohibiting funding to groups that support overseas programs that engage in coercive abortion.

While the President’s budget request is merely the first step in a lengthy process that will seldom contain all of a President’s targets, the pro-life nature of this budget request should hearten pro-lifers.

Defunding Certain Abortion Providers, Including Planned Parenthood

According to the recently released budget proposal, “The Budget includes provisions prohibiting certain abortion providers from receiving Federal funds from HHS, including those that receive funding under the Title X Family Planning program and Medicaid, among other HHS programs.”

The proposed budget would close the largest pipeline for federal funding of Planned Parenthood, Medicaid, and apply as well to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Title V and Title XX block grant programs.

These sources account for roughly 89% of all federal funds that currently flow to Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest provider of abortions – at least one-third of all abortions in the U.S. are performed at Planned Parenthood-affiliated facilities. According to their most recent annual report, Planned Parenthood received at least $528 million annually from the federal government or state and local governments.

Based on data from their own annual report from 2013-2014, nearly one in eight women walking through the door of a Planned Parenthood clinic has an abortion. A background memo from National Right to Life is available here.

Continuation of Prohibiting Funding to the UNFPA

After many long years under the Obama Administration’s funding of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Trump Administration ceased funding for the organization in April of 2017. The UNFPA does not currently receive funding from the U.S. government because of its extensive involvement in China’s population control program — which relies heavily upon coerced abortions. The budget proposal would continue to ensure that the UNFPA does not receive funding going forward.

Overturning DC’s discriminatory law against pro-life and other conservative groups that are based in the District

In 2014, the District Council enacted a local law, the so-called “Reproductive Health Nondiscrimination Act” (RHNDA). The RHNDA prohibits employers within the District from engaging in “discrimination” on the basis of “decisions” reached by employees, or potential employees, regarding “reproductive health” matters. It is not disputed that abortion is among the matters encompassed by the term “reproductive health” as used in the new law. The scope of the RHNDA is very broad, covering any “decisions” that are “related to the use . . . of a particular . . . medical service . . .”'



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