‘DEVASTATING’

Trump Administration’s Abortion Clinic ‘Gag Rule’ Upheld in Ninth Circuit

Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen called the news “devastating.”

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration could impose a “gag rule” that could cut as much as $60 million in federal funds from Planned Parenthood, The Washington Post reports. The rule, which would make clinics ineligible for federal funding if they provide abortions or abortion referrals, was challenged by 21 state attorneys general. Portions of the rule, like the ban on abortion referrals, would reportedly go into effect immediately. Other parts of the rule, like a mandate to physically separate abortion and non-abortion services, would have to be executed by March 2020. “Planned Parenthood will not let the government censor our doctors and nurses from informing patients where and how they can access health care,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Leana Wen said in a statement, adding that the organization would appeal the “devastating” decision.