Author: Sarah McCammon / Source: NPR.org
Days after its official publication, a new Trump administration rule dramatically overhauling the federal Title X family planning program is facing multiple legal challenges. Several medical and reproductive rights groups, as well as 21 state attorneys general, have filed lawsuits challenging the rule, which bans any organization that provides or refers women for abortions from receiving funds through the program to provide services such as contraception and STD screenings.
The latest lawsuit, filed Wednesday by the Center for Reproductive Rights, aims to block what abortion rights advocates are describing as a “gag rule.” CRR is filing the suit on behalf of Maine Family Planning, the sole Title X grantee in Maine.
“Taking the rug out from under them will basically decimate them,” Emily Nestler, senior staff attorney for CRR, said in an interview with NPR. “And because they essentially are family planning services in Maine, will really decimate family planning services throughout the entire state, not to mention dramatically cutting back access to abortion.”
Nestler said the Maine group, which provides abortion services as well as family planning, heavily relies on Title X funds to serve patients across the largely rural state.
The new rule, first proposed last year, is popular with social conservatives who have long campaigned to cut public funding to Planned Parenthood. Federal funding for abortion is already illegal in most situations, but many abortion-rights opponents have…
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