SPRINGFIELD – An action by the White House expected Friday will cut off any Title X federal funds to groups such as Planned Parenthood, which refers women for abortions.
In the meantime, Illinois law requires state taxpayer funding be used for abortions for women on Medicaid health care or state employee plans, thanks to the state's Democrat pro-abortion majority and the state's Republican pro-abortion governor.
The White House will announce Friday that it is reviving a rule similar to one proposed during the Reagan administration barring groups that provide abortions or refer patients for the procedure from receiving federal funding, a Trump administration official speaking on background tells NPR.
The proposed regulation would apply to Title X, the federal program that provides at least $260 million annually for contraception, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and other reproductive health services to millions of low-income people, according to the official, who asked not to be named.
The rule change would put Planned Parenthood back in the crosshairs after repeated attempts by congressional Republicans to defund the family planning group, which provides abortions but says the federal money it receives does not go toward paying for the procedures.
Illinois' Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and his wife have financially backed Planned Parenthood for years, and despite the IL GOP's platform stance, the governor signed into law the provision forcing Illinois taxpayers to subsidize abortions – a move that delighted Planned Parenthood leadership.
