{"id":255201,"date":"2021-10-17T11:30:33","date_gmt":"2021-10-17T16:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=255201"},"modified":"2021-10-16T13:54:14","modified_gmt":"2021-10-16T18:54:14","slug":"biden-protect-life-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/biden-protect-life-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden reversal of Title X rule under fire from religious leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

The Biden administration announced earlier this month that it was reversing the Trump-era “Protect Life Rule.” The rule, which was upheld<\/a> by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in early 2020, enforced the Title X ban on any taxpayer money being used to promote or fund elective abortions.<\/p>\n

Now the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities has issued a statement<\/a> from Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, condemning the administration\u2019s reversal on the pro-life rule. Naumann said it is “wrong to allow taxpayer dollars to fund abortion providers who participate in a pre-pregnancy program specifically designed to exclude abortion.\u201d\u00a0The Catholic News Service reported<\/a> on the history of Title X:<\/p>\n

Title X, enacted by the Family Planning Services and Population Research Act of 1970, covers reproductive health care services for low-income patients such as wellness exams, cervical and breast cancer screenings, contraceptives, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.<\/em><\/p>\n

Section 1008 of the law states that “none of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.”<\/em><\/p>\n

In February 2019, the Trump administration implemented its rule to enforce Section 1008, and the rule was upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Feb 24, 2020.<\/em><\/p>\n

However, President Biden, a self-described Catholic, has veered from the church\u2019s stance on this issue, and was only days into his presidency when he made the promise to reverse the pro-life rule. Naumann\u2019s statement continued<\/a>, “Abortion is not family planning. Abortion takes the life of an already-conceived and growing child. The violence of abortion wounds countless women physically, spiritually and emotionally.”<\/p>\n

READ: Leaked document reveals Biden\u2019s ACA rule change will benefit Planned Parenthood<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Title X was intended and authorized to be a program entirely separate from abortion,” he added, “and it plainly states that ‘the funds authorized under this legislation (shall) be used only to support preventive family planning services, population research, infertility services, and other related medical, informational and educational activities.'”<\/p>\n

The Alabama Baptist further condemned<\/a> the reversal in an article about multiple pro-life policies, which are coming under attack at the federal level. Chelsea Sobolik, director of public policy for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), said, \u201cSome proponents of abortion once characterized it as \u2018safe, legal, and rare,\u2019 but now the U.S. House of Representatives, along with the Biden administration, are advocating for abortion on demand and, disturbingly, the use of federal funds to pay for it,\u201d said \u201cIt should grieve our consciences to see such radical steps being made to expand abortion access across our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The article notes \u201c[t]he effort to rescind federal or state pro-life measures also includes:<\/p>\n