‘COERCION’

Federal Judge Rejects Trump-Backed Rule Making It Easier for Health-Care Workers to Avoid Providing Abortions

The rule allowed health-care workers to opt out of the procedure on religious or moral grounds.

A federal judge in New York rejected the Trump administration’s “conscience rule” that would have made it possible for health-care workers to opt out of performing abortions on religious or moral grounds. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer said the rule, which had been set to go into effect on Nov. 22, was unconstitutional, as it would allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to take away billions of dollars of funding from medical providers who refuse to comply with the policy. “Wherever the outermost line where persuasion gives way to coercion lies, the threat to pull all HHS funding here crosses it,” the judge wrote in his decision.