EXCELLENT: Trump Administration Scores One for States’ Rights, the Unborn, and Religious Liberty

This is excellent news, so kudos to President Trump and the administration on this one.

The administration is taking a positive step for states’ rights and the Right to Life movement, by rescinding another Obama-era move that prevented states from cutting Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood.

From the Washington Examiner:

The administration is rescinding an April 2016 letter that the Obama administration sent to states warning them that restricting Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood could violate federal law. Administration officials said Friday it is rescinding the guidance to give states more flexibility over how they manage Medicaid.

“States who run Medicaid jointly have had a say in whether providers in borders eligible to participate in Medicaid program,” said Charmaine Yoest, assistant secretary for public affairs at Health and Human Services.

In 2016, there were 10 states that responded to the horrific undercover videos from Center for Medical Progress, showing Planned Parenthood officials haggling over the price tags placed on the parts of aborted fetuses. These states sought to cut Medicaid funding, but the Obama administration swept in and passed the advisory, preventing the move.

I guess ending taxpayer handouts was more offensive than a laughing abortionists, scarfing back salad and wine, while discussing how much bank she was going to make by hacking up an unwanted baby.

Get this:

It is against the law to profit off the sale of aborted fetal tissue and Planned Parenthood charged that it was only reimbursed for transportation by research facilities receiving the tissue.

Courts have blocked efforts by states to defund Planned Parenthood.

Convenient.

This new move from the administration isn’t a perfect fix. It’s not ending the scourge known as abortion. It gives states a little more freedom in the decision making, however, and puts standards back as they were before the 2016 letter.

Another area touched on deals with religious freedom.

Administration officials also gave more detail on the creation of a new division of HHS’ Office of Civil Rights. The division will focus on religious liberty, specifically in fielding complaints from healthcare providers that they are forced by supervisors to do procedures that violate their religious or moral beliefs like abortions.

In other words, a Christian doctor cannot be forced to perform an abortion or assist with suicide, should the situation arise.

There are 25 areas dealing with conscience and religious freedom, already provided for in federal law, but ignored, for most part.

Roger Severino, director of the Office of Civil Rights has said that just since the beginning of 2018, they’ve received 34 complaints from healthcare providers, regarding infringements on their religious freedoms.

“We opened the doors and that we will actually take your complaints seriously,” Severino said.

Of course, the critics are attempting to say this will lead to doctors not treating members of the LGBT community (You know they always have to get their 2 cents worth in).

The only way that’s an issue is if they try to force a doctor with religious convictions to perform sex reassignment surgery. If one doctor says “No,” there are other doctors that will lie to you and take your money.

Excellent move from the administration.

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