A coalition of 20 states and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced a pair of lawsuits Monday aimed at blocking a new federal rule that bars taxpayer-funded clinics from referring patients for abortions.
The new Trump administration rule would steer millions of dollars from the federal family planning program -- Title X -- away from providers such as Planned Parenthood, which performs abortions, and toward health care providers with religious affiliations. Critics decried the policy as a "gag rule," while the president’s conservative base cheered it.
The attorneys general of Oregon and New York led the group of states, as well as the District of Columbia, in announcing their lawsuit Monday.
"What this new rule means is that providers who receive Title X funding will have to decide whether they will refuse the funding or 'cave' to the requirements of this new rule. Neither is a good or fair option for women and families who often have no other access to medical care," Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said.
