9th Circuit rules HHS can withhold Title X taxpayer money from abortion programs

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Elissa Graves regarding the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit’s decision Monday in State of California v. Azar, which upheld the ability of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to withhold family planning funds under Title X of the Public Health Service Act from “programs where abortion is a method of family planning,” such as programs run by Planned Parenthood:

“Taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for abortions. That’s precisely why Title X includes language allowing the federal government to deny funding to organizations that perform and promote them. The 9th Circuit was on firm ground to allow HHS to follow the law and ensure that no Title X money reaches the coffers of Planned Parenthood or any other organizations that are in the abortion business. As we argued in a friend-of-the-court brief filed on behalf of 153 members of Congress in an ongoing similar case, the HHS rules simply ‘ensure compliance with, and…better enforce, the statutory requirement that none of the funds appropriated for Title X may be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.’ Plenty of other organizations provide valuable and genuine health care services that are deserving of this money. Planned Parenthood is not.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.