Ernst-Black Legislation to Restore States’ Ability to Make Funding Decisions for Title X Providers Signed by President
| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Donald Trump signed into law U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Congressman Diane Black’s (TN-06) bicameral legislation to overturn an eleventh-hour rule issued by the Obama administration, and restore decisions about the best eligible Title X providers to the states.
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“I am pleased that President Trump signed our legislation into law, and I’m grateful to have worked with Congressman Black to ensure that states are not forced to provide entities like Planned Parenthood - the nation’s single largest provider of abortions - with federal Title X dollars.
“States are closer to, and more familiar with, their health care providers and patients, and therefore, should be able to make their own decisions about the best eligible Title X providers – whether those are hospitals, community health centers, or other types of providers.
“The Obama administration’s rule emboldened abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, empowered federal bureaucrats, and silenced our states in the process. Today’s action restores states’ rights over a Washington-knows-best mentality and ensures that states have the ability to identify the best eligible Title X sub-grantees,” said Senator Joni Ernst.
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“This is a historic victory for the pro-life community, and it has been an honor to work with Senator Ernst in this critical fight for life. I applaud my colleagues in Congress, as well as Vice President Pence, for advancing our life-affirming resolution to put the American people—not bureaucrats in Washington—back in the driver’s seat, empowering states like Tennessee to steer their Title X funds away from abortion-centric facilities like Planned Parenthood. With the passage of this legislation, Congress has rolled back the Obama Administration’s parting gift to the abortion industry and affirmed what the majority of Americans know to be true, that all life is sacred and worthy of our protection. By signing this legislation into law, President Trump is sending a strong message that the Trump Administration is a bold defender of life, and middle Tennesseans hear him loud and clear,” said Congressman Diane Black. Click here to watch Senator Ernst’s remarks following Senate passage. Senator Ernst and Congressman Black also penned a column in the Washington Examiner on the need to overturn this rule. |
