Conservative Groups To Send Letter Asking Bush To Revive Domestic Family Planning Gag Rule

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Abortion
Article Date: 07 May 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Nearly 80 conservative groups have signed a letter that will be sent to President Bush Tuesday, asking him to ban federal funding for family planning groups that provide abortion referrals or share facilities with abortion providers, according to Tom McClusky, vice president of government affairs at the Family Research Council, The Hill reports. Concerned Women for America and the Eagle Forum are also involved in the push. Former President Reagan first issued regulations more than 20 years ago, which were in effect only briefly. Former President Clinton rescinded the ban soon after he took office in 1993.

According to family planning groups, there is a "strict wall of separation" between their family planning services and abortion services, according to The Hill. Some conservative groups claim that family planning funding could be used for infrastructure and overhead needs of organizations where abortion providers operate at the same location.

"We respectfully ask that you make the necessary changes to the Title X regulations so that U.S. taxpayer funds are not used to promote and facilitate abortion," the letter to Bush says. The letter adds that Bush could implement the policy change through an executive order, which would go into effect after a brief public comment period.

If Bush were to enact such a ban, it would "almost certainly create an uproar" in the Democratic-controlled Congress, The Hill reports. A White House spokesperson declined a request for comment (Bolton, The Hill, 5/5). Bush's fiscal year 2009 budget proposal provides $300 million for the Title X family planning program, the same level as FY 2008 (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/4).

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