New HHS actions Friday prioritize women's health, freedom of conscience

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Elissa Graves regarding Friday’s action by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reverse the Obama-era policy that forced states to make Medicaid reimbursement payments to Planned Parenthood, blocking state legislatures from prioritizing those funds for local community health centers:

“No American taxpayer should be forced by unelected Washington bureaucrats to pay for abortions. Medicaid dollars should go to local community health centers serving women—not the scandal-ridden billion-dollar abortion industry. In contrast to the Obama administration’s policy designed to reward the Big Abortion lobby, this rule empowers state legislatures to allocate Medicaid funding for women’s health. Upholding decades of federal court precedent and the bipartisan-approved Hyde Amendment, this common-sense policy solution will also help prevent millions of taxpayer dollars from funding Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business. We commend the Trump administration for its leadership in protecting women’s health and defending the sanctity of life.”

HHS also announced a new proposed rule to enforce existing laws that protect Americans involved in HHS-funded programs from being coerced by the government to act contrary to their conscience. The proposed rule comes one day after HHS announced a new division within its Office of Civil Rights to help protect freedom of religion and conscience.