Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 21 June 2019

Appeals court allows Trump abortion rules to take effect

By GENE JOHNSON to find new locations, un- Department spokeswom-
Associated Press dergo expensive remodels an Kelly Laco said in an
New Trump administration or shut down. emailed statement. "The
rules imposing additional More than 20 states and Department of Justice's po-
hurdles for women seek- several civil rights and sition is supported by long-
ing abortions can take ef- health organizations chal- standing Supreme Court
fect while the government lenged the rules in cases precedent and we are
appeals decisions that filed in Oregon, Washing- confident we will ultimately
blocked them, a federal ton and California. Judges prevail on appeal."
appeals court said Thurs- in all three states blocked The states and health care
day. the rules from taking ef- providers who challenged
The rules ban taxpayer- fect, with Oregon and the law vowed to keep
funded clinics from mak- Washington courts issuing fighting. Planned Parent-
ing abortion referrals and nationwide injunctions. hood said it would imme-
prohibit clinics that receive One called the new policy diately ask the 9th Circuit
federal money from shar- In this Friday, April 5, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump "madness" and said it was to reconsider the decision.
ing office space with abor- speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South motivated by "an arrogant The organization serves
tion providers — a rule crit- Lawn of the White House, in Washington. assumption that the gov- about 1.6 million of the 4
ics said would force many Associated Press ernment is better suited to million low-income patients
direct women's health care who receive health care
than their providers." through Title X, a 1970 law
But a three-judge panel of designed to improve ac-
the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of cess to family planning ser-
Appeals in San Francisco vices. "The news out of the
called the rules "reason- 9th Circuit this morning is
able" and said they accord devastating for the millions
with a federal law that pro- of people who rely on Title
hibits taxpayer funds from X health centers for cancer
going to "programs where screenings, HIV tests, af-
abortion is a method of fordable birth control and
family planning." other critical primary and
"If the program refers pa- preventive care," Dr. Leana
tients to abortion providers Wen, president of the
for family planning services, Planned Parenthood Fed-
then that program is logi- eration of America, said
cally one 'where abortion in a statement. "Planned
is a method of family plan- Parenthood will not let the
ning,'" the panel wrote. government censor our
It granted the Justice De- doctors and nurses from
partment a stay of the low- informing patients where
er court injunctions, allow- and how they can access
ing the rules to take effect. health care."
A federal court in Maryland Abortion is a legal medi-
has also issued an order cal procedure, but federal
blocking the rules, but that laws prohibit the use of Title
only applied in that state. X or other taxpayer funds to
The Justice Department pay for abortions except in
has appealed it. cases of rape, incest, or to
"We are pleased that the save the life of the woman.
Ninth Circuit has cleared Abortion opponents and
the way for this important religious conservatives say
executive branch action Title X has long been used
to take effect while our ap- to indirectly subsidize abor-
peals are pending," Justice tion providers.q