SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
"President Trump's decision to take this action behind closed doors shows he knows how wildly unpopular his actions are," said NARAL on Thursday. (Photo: NARAL/Facebook)
Behind closed doors on Thursday, President Donald Trump signed a bill that will effectively make it harder for women--especially low-income women and women of color--to access basic healthcare services.
The legislation, which Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to pass last month, repeals an Obama-era rule that protected the Title X program by blocking states from defunding family planning centers, including Planned Parenthood, for political reasons.
As the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Mike Garvey wrote earlier this week:
Title X providers offer vital services--such as birth control, cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted infections--to four million people, regardless of economic status. It's a publically funded safety net for those who can't simply go elsewhere. And it works because the network is diverse and includes reproductive health providers, which are often the most qualified and best-equipped to provide this care.
By law, no Title X funds can be used to provide abortion services. But, in more than a dozen states, politicians have moved to block healthcare providers who also provide abortion, like Planned Parenthood and others, from receiving Title X funds. That's discrimination, and the courts agree. Excluding qualified providers does nothing to help public health. It actually hurts access to needed care.
By rescinding the rule, Trump "has delivered a gut punch to the millions of Americans who rely on family planning providers for their basic healthcare needs," said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, who added that this was just the latest in a string of developments showing Trump's "callous disregard for our health and rights."
Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, similarly said that by signing the bill, Trump thumbed his nose at millions of Americans. According to Planned Parenthood, Title X allowed health centers to provide 800,000 Pap tests, one million breast exams, and six million tests for sexually transmitted infections--all in 2015 alone.
"Planned Parenthood strongly opposes President Trump's willingness to undermine millions of women's access to birth control through the Title X family planning program," said Laguens. "Four million people depend on the Title X family planning program, and by signing this bill, President Trump disregards their health and well-being."
Of the spotlight-loving president, NARAL Pro-Choice America national communications director Kaylie Hanson Long noted: "President Trump's decision to take this action behind closed doors shows he knows how wildly unpopular his actions are. It's a shame that despite the millions of Americans who rely on Title X for protection, President Trump is going to extraordinary lengths to control women and our reproductive freedom. If you have to hide what you're doing, then you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Women and families deserve better."
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Behind closed doors on Thursday, President Donald Trump signed a bill that will effectively make it harder for women--especially low-income women and women of color--to access basic healthcare services.
The legislation, which Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to pass last month, repeals an Obama-era rule that protected the Title X program by blocking states from defunding family planning centers, including Planned Parenthood, for political reasons.
As the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Mike Garvey wrote earlier this week:
Title X providers offer vital services--such as birth control, cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted infections--to four million people, regardless of economic status. It's a publically funded safety net for those who can't simply go elsewhere. And it works because the network is diverse and includes reproductive health providers, which are often the most qualified and best-equipped to provide this care.
By law, no Title X funds can be used to provide abortion services. But, in more than a dozen states, politicians have moved to block healthcare providers who also provide abortion, like Planned Parenthood and others, from receiving Title X funds. That's discrimination, and the courts agree. Excluding qualified providers does nothing to help public health. It actually hurts access to needed care.
By rescinding the rule, Trump "has delivered a gut punch to the millions of Americans who rely on family planning providers for their basic healthcare needs," said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, who added that this was just the latest in a string of developments showing Trump's "callous disregard for our health and rights."
Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, similarly said that by signing the bill, Trump thumbed his nose at millions of Americans. According to Planned Parenthood, Title X allowed health centers to provide 800,000 Pap tests, one million breast exams, and six million tests for sexually transmitted infections--all in 2015 alone.
"Planned Parenthood strongly opposes President Trump's willingness to undermine millions of women's access to birth control through the Title X family planning program," said Laguens. "Four million people depend on the Title X family planning program, and by signing this bill, President Trump disregards their health and well-being."
Of the spotlight-loving president, NARAL Pro-Choice America national communications director Kaylie Hanson Long noted: "President Trump's decision to take this action behind closed doors shows he knows how wildly unpopular his actions are. It's a shame that despite the millions of Americans who rely on Title X for protection, President Trump is going to extraordinary lengths to control women and our reproductive freedom. If you have to hide what you're doing, then you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Women and families deserve better."
Behind closed doors on Thursday, President Donald Trump signed a bill that will effectively make it harder for women--especially low-income women and women of color--to access basic healthcare services.
The legislation, which Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to pass last month, repeals an Obama-era rule that protected the Title X program by blocking states from defunding family planning centers, including Planned Parenthood, for political reasons.
As the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Mike Garvey wrote earlier this week:
Title X providers offer vital services--such as birth control, cancer screenings, and testing for sexually transmitted infections--to four million people, regardless of economic status. It's a publically funded safety net for those who can't simply go elsewhere. And it works because the network is diverse and includes reproductive health providers, which are often the most qualified and best-equipped to provide this care.
By law, no Title X funds can be used to provide abortion services. But, in more than a dozen states, politicians have moved to block healthcare providers who also provide abortion, like Planned Parenthood and others, from receiving Title X funds. That's discrimination, and the courts agree. Excluding qualified providers does nothing to help public health. It actually hurts access to needed care.
By rescinding the rule, Trump "has delivered a gut punch to the millions of Americans who rely on family planning providers for their basic healthcare needs," said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, who added that this was just the latest in a string of developments showing Trump's "callous disregard for our health and rights."
Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, similarly said that by signing the bill, Trump thumbed his nose at millions of Americans. According to Planned Parenthood, Title X allowed health centers to provide 800,000 Pap tests, one million breast exams, and six million tests for sexually transmitted infections--all in 2015 alone.
"Planned Parenthood strongly opposes President Trump's willingness to undermine millions of women's access to birth control through the Title X family planning program," said Laguens. "Four million people depend on the Title X family planning program, and by signing this bill, President Trump disregards their health and well-being."
Of the spotlight-loving president, NARAL Pro-Choice America national communications director Kaylie Hanson Long noted: "President Trump's decision to take this action behind closed doors shows he knows how wildly unpopular his actions are. It's a shame that despite the millions of Americans who rely on Title X for protection, President Trump is going to extraordinary lengths to control women and our reproductive freedom. If you have to hide what you're doing, then you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Women and families deserve better."