Congressman Cohen Condemns Trump Rule Restricting Health Clinic Funding
Says move to placate social conservatives will harm women
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) condemned in the strongest terms an anticipated new Trump Administration rule that would withhold funds from any health care facility that promotes abortion or refers patients to abortion providers, and made the following statement:
"Rolling government policy back to the 1980s by restricting medical advice to women who need it is counterproductive and cruel, and is obviously a cynical play to placate the President's base.
"I joined 166 members of the House in condemning this plan when it was first proposed. This is quite simply a politically motivated attack on Planned Parenthood. It will hurt women across the country by making health care inaccessible for many low-income women. This domestic gag rule is unacceptable."
The rule calls for physical separation and separate personnel for facilities that provide family planning services and abortions and would restrict Title X federal family planning funding for those operation that cannot comply. Federal law has restricted federal funding for abortions since enactment of the Hyde Amendment in the late 1970s.