Dear John,
By now you’ve heard about the disastrous Trump-Pence Gag Rule that went into effect two weeks ago. Planned Parenthood, many state and local public health clinics, and countless independent family planning clinics have been forced to withdraw from the Title X program so they can continue to provide comprehensive medically accurate guidance on reproductive health and abortion to millions of low-income patients. In the months to come, we may begin to see the damage of this alarming policy: limited access to affordable birth control, STI treatments, cancer screenings, and even the closure of some family planning clinics.
In the meantime, pro-choice forces continue to fight back against this outrageous rule. Oregon, Illinois, New York, Washington and Hawaii have refused Title X funds under the new regulations. 19 states and the District of Columbia, Planned Parenthood, and the American Medical Association are seeking a permanent injunction against the Trump-Pence Gag Rule. We can win this by demanding that our policymakers rescind these rules immediately.
Independent clinics all across the country are disproportionately affected by these draconian rules. Many lack Planned Parenthood’s fundraising capabilities, and are not located in states that have additional funding to make up the loss.
They may face the very real possibility of:
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Being forced to reduce their staff
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Cutting back on hours and services
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Discarding sliding scale payments
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Closing their doors permanently
The Trump-Pence Gag Rule works to punish low-income patients and may close clinic doors. We cannot allow this ruthless policy to continue to threaten Title X clinics. Tell Congress to take action to reverse the Trump-Pence Gag Rule and keep clinic doors open.
For Reproductive Freedom,
