Week in Review – Biden administration giving PP money and stopping Texas law
This week, the Biden administration published an update to the rules governing the Title X family Planning program. The rule will become effective on November 8, 2021. This update reinstates the year 2000 rules of the Clinton administration and completely replaces the “Protect Life Rule” that was put in place during the Trump administration.
The Congressional Pro-Life Caucus noted the following concerning the new rules:
- The underlying Title X statute (42 U.S.C. 300a-6) prohibits Title X dollars from funding abortion as a method of family planning. However, this final rule, like the Title X Rule finalized in 2000 under President Bill Clinton, actively supports abortion by providing funding to clinics that perform elective abortions and by requiring grantees to make abortion referrals.
The new Title X Rule permits the “co-location” of abortion clinics and Title X clinics in the same facility.
- Trump Administration’s 2019 Protect Life Rule: Required Title X grantees to maintain financial and physical separation from abortion providers, drawing a bright line between abortion and family planning (See section 59.15 of the Protect Life Rule).
- Biden Administration’s Final Rule: Removes this protection, allowing Title X grantees to be “co-located” with abortion providers. Allowing co-location creates an accounting gimmick that enables Title X funds to support abortion. Since money is fungible, providing Title X dollars to abortion clinics frees up other money to be used for abortion.
- Implications: Prior to the Trump Administration’s Protect Life Rule, Title X was a prime funding source for Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion chain in America. According to a 2021 GAO report, between 2016 and 2018 (before the Protect Life Rule was established), Title X funds were Planned Parenthood’s second largest federal funding stream at $182 million (approximately $60 million each year.) Planned Parenthood gave up Title X funds rather than comply with the requirements of the Protect Life Rule. Upon publication of Biden’s final rule, Planned Parenthood issued a press release cheering the fact that it can “soon reenter” the Title X program.
The new Title X Rule requires grantees to make abortion referrals.
- Trump Administration’s Protect Life Rule: Prohibited abortion referrals. It did allow a health care provider, if asked by a pregnant woman seeking an abortion, to provide a list of comprehensive health service providers (some, but not all of which also provided abortion). (See section 59.14 of the Protect Life Rule).
- Biden Administration’s Final Rule: Requires grantees to offer abortion counseling and referrals to pregnant clients (See Section 59.5), blurring the line of separation that the underlying statute requires between abortion and Title X family planning funding. In addition, mandating abortion counseling and referrals is a violation of federal conscience law, including the Weldon Amendment, which states that the federal government cannot discriminate against health care entities that do not refer for abortions. In this final rule, the Biden Administration declined to clearly and fully address the potential violation of conscience laws, responding to objections made to the proposed rule by adding a footnote in the final rule stating, “Providers may be covered by federal statutes protecting conscience and/or civil rights.” The final rule defers to the Office for Civil Rights to evaluate violations on a case-by-case basis.
Planned Parenthood reportedly spent more than $45 million to get Biden elected. This Title X rule change will allow Planned Parenthood to re-enter the Title X program and collect $60 million or more in taxpayer money.
In another development concerning the Texas Heartbeat Law, the Biden administration filed a lawsuit to undo the law and US District Judge Robert Pitmanin, in a ruling this week, ordered the state to put SB 8 on hold. The state of Texas says it will appeal the judge’s order.
NBC News reported: White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the ruling was “an important step forward toward restoring the constitutional rights of women across the state of Texas.
“The fight has only just begun, both in Texas and in many states across this country where women’s rights are currently under attack,” her statement continued. “That’s why the President supports codifying Roe v. Wade, why he has directed a whole-of-government response to S.B. 8, and why he will continue to stand side-by-side with women across the country to protect their constitutional rights.”
ALL in the News – Marian Blue Wave Victory Hits the National and Local Media, Program Celebrates Two-Year Anniversary; ALL Executive Interviewed about Planned Parenthood; ALL VP Interviewed on Biden and Pope Francis Meeting
This week, ALL’s Marian Blue Wave program celebrated its two-year anniversary, reflecting on the progress of the program over the last couple of years. MBW director Katie Brown was interviewed by Teresa Tomeo on EWTN’s Catholic Connection, discussing the program and a few amazing stories from MBW prayer partners. Brown was also featured in a LifeSiteNews article on the same subject.
The MBW anniversary also reached several local media outlets, including some in Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Virginia. These local Patch articles highlight the priests who have endorsed the program and have contributed to the program’s highly anticipated new prayer-companion book.
Jim Sedlak was featured in a LifeSiteNews article discussing Planned Parenthood and their continued improper use of COVID funds.
Hugh Brown, ALL executive vice president, was interviewed by American Family News on Biden’s impending meeting with Pope Francis.
Twice a week, Judie Brown’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s Tuesday commentary, With a Song in My Heart for You, appeared on the ALL home page. Each commentary is also featured as a part of Judie’s recurring column on Renew America.
Jim Sedlak’s Pro-Life Activism from Creation to Death is a weekly talk-radio program on the Radio Maria USA network. The show can be heard live every Friday at noon (Eastern Time). Each show features an update on what is happening in the pro-life world, and frequently guests will appear on the show to provide first-hand updates and experiences.
Video of the Week – Miraculous Victories of the Rosary
This week is the 450th anniversary of the Christian defeat over Ottoman Turks in the battle of Lepanto. That triumph is one of several miracles attributed to Our Lady of the Rosary. We want you to be a part of the next Rosary victory—the defeat of Planned Parenthood.
Action Item of the Week – Daily suggestions on spreading the pro-life message
Last week, American Life League posted a commentary by Susan Ciancio, editor of Celebrate Life Magazine and executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program. The commentary, 31 Unique Ways to Celebrate Life This October!, listed suggested pro-life actions to take every day for the Respect Life Month of October. Listed below are Susan’s suggestions for the next week:
October 9: National Pro-Life Cupcake Day (yes, it is a real thing)
Participate in National Pro-Life Cupcake Day on October 9! Bake pro-life themed cupcakes for family, friends, or to take to a pregnancy help center! It’s great fun for the whole family! Plus, you get to eat cupcakes.
October 10: 40 Days for Life
40 Days for Life runs from September 22–October 31 this year, so you have all of October to participate! 40 Days for Life is a prayerful vigil outside of Planned Parenthood clinics across the country that not only witnesses to mothers and fathers entering the clinic, but also to the abortion clinic workers and passersby on the street. Volunteers have saved almost 20,000 babies since 2007!
October 11: Learn about Dr. Jérôme Lejeune.
Dr. Lejeune is known as the Father of Modern Genetics, but few people know that this brilliant French scientist who discovered the genetic cause of Down syndrome was Catholic and staunchly pro-life. Use this CLSP lesson to learn about Dr. Lejeune’s courage in defending children with Down syndrome. Begin conversations with your children about disabilities and caring for the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society.
October 12: Teach your kids that people come in all shapes and sizes.
Help kids understand that we are all special by using our All Shapes and Sizes study, which teaches that people with disabilities are just like us. Our differences are what make the world such a beautiful place.
October 13: October is also National Bullying Prevention Month.
Use our lesson, Caring for the Least of These, to teach your children how to stand up for those who are bullied or who may feel too timid to stand up for themselves.
October 14: Teach kids that life is precious!
Use our new downloadable pre-K-2 lesson entitled Life Is Precious to teach young children about the beauty of preborn babies.
October 15: Celebrate the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila.
St. Teresa was an amazing woman! We can use her example as we work toward building a culture that respects life. Read her bio to your family and discuss what you will do to take care of others.
Pro-life Social Media – ‘Sounds like a plan.’ Abortion Advocate Thinks Fathers Should Financially Support Their Babies
Something strange happened in 2021. Abortion advocates started subconsciously arguing what could be construed as pro-life positions. First, Bette Midler suggested women refrain from doing the very thing that leads to babies.
I suggest that all women refuse to have sex with men until they are guaranteed the right to choose by Congress.
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) September 3, 2021
You see? No sex, therefore, no babies, therefore, no dead babies.
This week, a journalist for GQ suggested the idea of—gasp!—paternal responsibility!
If you are anti-choice and you want to make sure women carry every pregnancy to term, why not make the person who created the pregnancy contribute? Why not have men pay child support to the women they impregnate? Surely, it is not the woman’s responsibility alone? /end
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) October 7, 2021
Does she think only men create a pregnancy? The idea that fathers should hold some financial responsibility in the well-being of their children seems foreign to Ms. Ioffe. Pro-life advocates will advocate child support for the babies 1000% over killing them. Is the point Ioffe is attempting to make supposed to be a condemnation of pro-lifers?
The vast majority of pro-life people will enthusiastically agree to this.— Timothy Nerozzi 庭夢 (@TimothyNerozzi) October 7, 2021
Who disagrees with this?
— Andrew Holly (@andrewholly2016) October 7, 2021
Pro-life people everywhere: “sounds like a good plan!”
— License to Will (@wharrison51) October 7, 2021
This is one of those things that reveals how little you know about what the other side thinks than anything else.
— Nothingtoseehere (@Nothing77804505) October 7, 2021
We literally agree that men should pay for the child they create… it’s like you don’t understand at all how we think.
— ???? Chels ???? (@PetiteTerreur89) October 7, 2021
How long before abortion enthusiasts suggest saving sex for marriage?
