'My Tax Dollars Will Not Fund Planned Parenthood': Pro-Lifers Celebrate Trump's New Move

Pro-Life groups are applauding President Trump for taking action to ensure that no federal funds go to family planning programs that include abortion. 

A recent Marist poll found that six in ten Americans oppose the use of taxpayer funding for abortion.

Now the Department of Health and Human Services is announcing abortion is not considered family planning, therefore requiring a "bright line of physical and financial separation between Title X programs and any program (or facility) where abortion is performed supported, or referred for as a method of family planning."

The "Protect Life Rule" will direct tax dollars to Title X centers that do not promote or perform abortions, such as the growing number of community and rural health centers that far outnumber the Planned Parenthood facilities which do perform abortions.

Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business, is responsible for more than 300,000 abortions a year and has been receiving $50-60 million in Title X taxpayer funds annually. 

Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser tells CBN News, "President Trump has shown decisive leadership, delivering on a key promise to pro-life voters who worked so hard to elect him. This is a major victory which will energize the grassroots as we head into the critical midterm elections," adding, "We thank President Trump for taking action to disentangle taxpayers from the abortion business." 

Abby Johnson, former director of a Planned Parenthood in Texas who is now president of the pro-life organization And Then There Were None, is also praising the move.

"I'm grateful that my tax dollars will not fund Planned Parenthood, thanks to the Trump Administration, to Vice President Mike Pence, to Kellyanne Conway, and to the many pro-lifers in the Department of Health and Human Services who have worked tirelessly to fulfill their campaign promise, a promise made to the pro-life movement for the past decade," Johnson said.

National Right to Life President Carol Tobias tells CBN News, "We thank President Trump for the numerous actions his administration has taken to restore pro-life policies. We are encouraged to see the announcement of Title X regulations that are back in line with previous policy that prevents federal dollars from being used to directly or indirectly promote abortion domestically." 

Penny Nance, CEO and president of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee issued the following statement:

"Today, HHS acted on their statutory ability to decide who is eligible for Title X funding. Abortion is not health care, nor is it family planning. Although the Title X statute and legal precedent make this clear, previous administrations have failed to draw this line. This new rule doesn't reduce Title X dollars, but it does direct funding to service sites like Federally Qualified Health Centers, rural health centers, and nonprofits that are willing to comply with the law. This provides necessary transparency and ensures that Title X dollars are spent on family planning, not abortion."