WASHINGTON, D.C. (NEXSTAR) — Lawmakers are taking a look at a new Trump Administration rule that would make sweeping changes to Title X, the federal program that provides birth control and other reproductive health services to millions of low-income Americans.
Some lawmakers say the new rule is an attack on women.
Illinois Democrat Jan Schakowsky says there’s no room for politics in the exam room.“This is about abortion,” said Schakowsky. “This is about trying to limit women from having their full reproductive rights.”
A new rule from the Trump Administration says clinics that receive federal funds will no longer be able to perform abortions in the same space where they see other patients.Dr. Diane Foley with the Department of Health and Human Services says the new rule means doctors can focus on other family planning services like prenatal care and pregnancy counseling.
But Kami Geoffray with the Women’s Health and Family Planning Association of Texas says that would force thousands of clinics who rely on Title X funding to shutdown .
“When you are targeting certain providers, sometimes your impacts are much broader,” said Geoffray. “And at the end of the day, the real impact is to the communities we serve and the clients we serve.”
A federal judge temporarily blocked the rule from taking full effect in May. It could be months before the issue is resolved by the courts.
