Friday, January 19, 2018

Trump Administration Takes Several Actions Supporting Pro-Life Advocates

As reported by CNN, today was the 45th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.  Both Vice-President Pence and President Trump addressed the marchers via video feed from the White House Rose Garden. (Video of remarks.) Today, President Trump also issued a Proclamation (full text) declaring January 22 as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The White House additionally issued a Fact Sheet titled President Donald J. Trump is Standing Up for the Sanctity of Life.

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services also announced two pro-life initiatives. The HHS Office for Civil Rights issued a 216-page release (full text) proposing revisions in in order to expand enforcement authority as to rules that protect conscience objections in delivery of health care services. Second, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Letter to State Medicaid Directors (full text) rescinding SMD #16-005, a 2016 letter to Medicaid.  That letter which today's action rescinded provided in part:
... [S]tates may not deny qualification to family planning providers, or take other action against qualified family planning providers, that affects beneficiary access to those providers—whether individual providers, physician groups, outpatient clinics or hospitals—solely because they separately provide family planning services or the full range of legally permissible gynecological and obstetric care, including abortion services (not funded by federal Medicaid dollars, consistent with the federal prohibition), as part of their scope of practice.