
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today applauded the Trump Administration’s final rule on the Title X Family Planning Program that protects the program from funding abortions.
“The Title X Program can now finally return to its originally intended purpose—the provision of family planning services, not abortions,” Smith said. “Title X funding was never intended to facilitate Planned Parenthood’s hideous dismemberment, chemical poisoning or deliberate starvation and forced expulsion of a defenseless unborn baby. There is nothing benign or compassionate about killing a defenseless child. I am grateful that the Trump Administration has affirmed human life and dignity with this pro-child rule.”
The new rule finalized on Friday, February 22, 2019, prohibits Title X projects from referring for abortions, requires Title X recipients to maintain physical and financial separation from abortion clinics—in other words, no co-location of Title X family planning clinics with abortion clinics—and better enforces compliance with abuse reporting requirements.
Prior to the finalized rule, the Title X Program operated under Clinton-era regulations that actively supported abortion by requiring grantees to make abortion referrals and by funding clinics that provide abortions.
“President Trump’s new ‘Protect Life Rule’ is a faithful implementation of both the spirit and letter of the original law that established the Title X Program and to the rule promulgated by President Ronald Reagan,” Smith said. “It is once again made clear that, in accordance with Title X of the Public Health Service Act, federal funds are prohibited from being spent on programs in which the violence of abortion is used a method of family planning.”
Rep. Smith is Chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. He led a letter by 153 Members requesting the rule, and led a House letter with 144 Members which, together with a Senate letter with 25 Senators, supported this final rule.