6 Ways the Trump Administration and

Congress Have Threatened Womens

Health in Just a Few Months
By Miriam Berg (/blog?author=22) | April 10, 2017, 4:07 p.m.

Category: Abortion (/blog?blogCategory=abortion), Congress (/blog?

blogCategory=congress), Birth Control (/blog?blogCategory=birth-control), Planned
Parenthood (/blog?blogCategory=planned-parenthood), Medicaid (/blog?
blogCategory=medicaid), Obamacare (/blog?blogCategory=obamacare), Title X
(/blog?blogCategory=title-x)

Share This

Its hard to keep up.

Look at how Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and anti-abortion politicians in Washington
have systematically targeted womens health since day one.
Its hard to keep up with the terrible policies coming out of the White House these days.
The Muslim ban. Cutting funds to Meals on Wheels. Reversing the Obama
administrations Clean Power Plan. But the new administration and the new Congress
have been particularly cruel in their policies toward women and it hasnt even been
100 days.

In addition to all the policies that indirectly hurt women, these 6 things directly attack
both reproductive health and rights.

Whos
Action Where it Is
Impacted

Expanding the Global Gag Rule

Millions of
(https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/trumps-massive-
vulnerable women
expansion-of-the-global-gag-rule-will-kill-women- Passed: Trump
and girls in
advocates-warn) signed executive
developing
action (Jan. 23)
countries around
Forbids foreign NGOs that get U.S. funds from even
the world
speaking about abortion

Defunding Planned Parenthood

2.5 million patients
(https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-
who rely on ACA repeal bill
us/newsroom/press-releases/planned-parenthood-
Planned introduced (March
statement-on-aca-repeal-bill)
Parenthood health 7); Vote pulled
centers for (March 24)
Blocks patients who have public insurance from accessing
preventive care
care at Planned Parenthood

Slashing Maternity Coverage 9 million women ACA repeal bill

(https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/gop- who gained access introduced (March
to-9-million-women-sorry-no-more-maternity-coverage- to maternity and 7); Vote pulled
for-you) newborn coverage (March 24);Offered
under the as a trade-off to
Threatens to take away coverage or limit access to plans Affordable Care pass the bill (April
with only bare-bones coverage Act 5)
 Undermining Title X Protections More than 4 Passed: Mike Pence
(https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/vice- million people cast the deciding
president-mike-pence-cast-the-tie-breaking-vote-to-strip- with low incomes vote (March 30). It
protections-for-reproductive-health-care) who rely on Title X goes into effect
for family planning after President
Rescinds a rule that protects Title X patients access to
care Trump signs it.
family planning care at health centers that provide
abortion

Vulnerable
Ending U.S. Funds to UNFPA populations
(http://www.vox.com/world/2017/4/4/15177964/unfpa- around the world Passed: The Trump
abortion-defunding-trump-un-women-children) (again), including administration
women in announced the
Cuts off U.S. funds for voluntary family planning, maternal humanitarian decision (April 4)
health, and gender equity programs abroad crises and conflict
areas

Confirming Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court Anyone who cares

(https://plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/neil-gorsuch- about womens Confirmed: The
is-confirmed-and-dangerous) health, Senate voted with a
reproductive narrow margin
Makes the Supreme Court even more hostile to rights, and LGBTQ (April 7)
reproductive health and rights. rights.

1. Expanding the Global Gag Rule

Since Ronald Reagan was in office, a harmful policy known as the global gag rule
(https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/communities/planned-parenthood-
global/end-global-gag-rule) has been taken off the books by every Democratic
president and put back on by every Republican president. It bans foreign NGOs that
receive certain kinds of American aid from counseling on, referring for, or even
advocating for abortion. Its a policy that hurts the worlds most vulnerable women and
stifles free speech.
In one of his first executive actions in office and surrounded by smiling white men
(http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/01/trump_s_global_gag_ru
President Trump instated an even worse version (http://www.vox.com/policy-and-
politics/2017/1/26/14384260/global-gag-rule-trump-abortion-womens-health-global-
health-world) of this already dangerous rule. His action will be catastrophic for
communities around the world that rely on U.S. funding to fight against Zika and to
provide HIV/AIDS and maternal health care. This expanded version of the global gag
rule threatens to undermine and reverse progress that family planning has made in
lowering maternal mortality rates and preventing unsafe abortion worldwide. In fact, it
could endanger the lives of millions (https://www.theguardian.com/global-
development/2017/feb/14/bill-and-melinda-gates-trumps-global-gag-rule-endangers-
millions-women-girls-us-funding) of women and girls, and their babies.

2. Trying to Defund Planned Parenthood in the ACA

Repeal Bill
An extremely harmful provision (https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/five-
must-know-facts-about-the-aca-repeal-bill) of the ACA repeal bill would have stopped
Planned Parenthood, and only Planned Parenthood, from getting reimbursed for
providing essential health services to patients served by Medicaid. This attack on access
to care at Planned Parenthood is part of a larger, extreme agenda to shut down Planned
Parenthood completely. The move would take away care from people who have a
harder time accessing it in the first place, undercut the nations health care safety net,
and, ultimately, cause a national health care disaster.

Even though Paul Ryan said pulled a vote on the bill last month, anti-womens health
politicians are still pushing for both a repeal of the ACA and a defund of Planned
Parenthood. We havent heard the last of this.

3. Trying to Strip Maternity Care to Help Pass the ACA

Repeal Bill
Vice President Mike Pence and the House Freedom Caucus negotiated to revive the
failed ACA repeal bill with a cruel bargaining chip: giving states the option to eliminate
plan coverage of the essential health benefits (EHBs). Thats exactly what they did to
move the ACA repeal bill from the White House to Congress in the first place: Last
month, in the dead of night, Congress traded away EHBs
(https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/aca-repeal-bill-the-worst-legislation-
for-women-in-a-generation)to get a few more votes from far-right extremists.

The EHBs are core health care services that the majority of plans must cover under the
ACA such as maternity and newborn coverage, mental health and substance abuse
treatment, and prescription drugs. Women disproportionately rely on every one of the
EHB standards, particularly maternity and newborn coverage. This proposal would not
only gut maternity care, but also reduce womens access to birth control and and raise
insurance costs for women. And that could force women into a world where its nearly
impossible to both prevent pregnancy and get medical care once theyre pregnant.

4. Undermining Protections for Title X, the Nations Family

Planning Program
On March 30, Vice President Mike Pence
(https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/vice-president-mike-pence-cast-the-
tie-breaking-vote-to-strip-protections-for-reproductive-health-care) cast the tie-breaking
vote in the Senate to dismantle President Obamas rule protecting access
(https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/congress-introduces-bills-to-overturn-
obama-admin-rule-that-protects-health-care-for-4-million-who-rely-on-title-x) to basic
health care services through the Title X family planning program. The Obama
administration's rule clarified existing federal law to make sure that patients have access
to critical Title X care from the most qualified family planning provider available,
regardless of whether it separately provides abortion services.

The Senates move against the protections could embolden anti-womens health state
politicians to block patients with low incomes who rely on Title X from getting care from
reproductive health care providers, including Planned Parenthood, just because they
also provide safe, legal abortion. The resolution was passed by the House and Senate,
and it now heads to President Trump's desk for his signature.

5. Ending U.S. Funding for the UN Population Fund

(UNFPA)
On April 3, the Trump administration added to the worst political attacks on womens
health in a generation by quietly eliminating U.S. funding for UNFPA
(https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/how-the-trump-administration-is-
defunding-women-and-girls-worldwide), a vital organization whose mission is to
champion maternal and child health across the globe.

This move will be especially damaging at a time when there are said to be the highest
levels of forced displacement globally recorded since World War II. That is because
UNFPA is also a leading health care provider in humanitarian crises, ensuring women
and others receive lifesaving care.

Reproductive health programs around the world have made strides to bring down
maternal mortality and prevent unintended pregnancy. The administrations move will
have a devastating impact on UNFPA and reduce access to family planning something
we know will reverse those gains and put women's lives at risk.

6. Confirming Anti-Abortion Judge Neil Gorsuch to the

Supreme Court
On April 7, President Trump's allies in the Senate voted to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch
to the Supreme Court by a razor-thin vote. Gorsuchs views are so outside of the
mainstream (https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/the-people-vs-neil-
gorsuch) that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had to change the rules in order
to jam through his confirmation.

Gorsuch's out-of-touch judicial record are sure to threaten reproductive health and
rights for decades to come (https://plannedparenthoodaction.org/blog/neil-gorsuch-is-
confirmed-and-dangerous?edit). Over the next few years, the Supreme Court could rule
on laws that undermine access to basic health care, target the LGBTQ community for
discrimination, and deny the essential right to safe and legal abortion. Justice Gorsuch
has a history of going to extraordinary lengths to interfere with reproductive health and
rights, and his alarming record and judicial philosophy leave no doubt that he will vote
to restrict access to abortion.

Take Action
With each dangerous policy, President Trump is confirming the worst fears of the
millions of women who marched and organized after the election. If this administration
were truly committed to empowering women, they would support efforts that help
women and girls to live healthy lives.

Enough is enough. Join the fight to protect reproductive rights!

(https://secure.ppaction.org/site/SPageNavigator/pp_ppol_IStandWithPP_0117_Voluntee
s_subsrc=3NALz1707S1N1V&s_src=IStandWithPP_0117_Volunteer_c3_sitelet&_ga=1.18

Tags: Donald Trump (/blog?tagName=donald-trump), Obamacare (/blog?

tagName=obamacare), Congress (/blog?tagName=congress), Mike Pence (/blog?
tagName=mike-pence), Title X (/blog?tagName=title-x), Medicaid (/blog?
tagName=medicaid), Planned Parenthood (/blog?tagName=planned-parenthood)

Follow Us

Top 3 Ways to Take Action

These are the best ways you can protect reproductive rights across the country today,
including care at Planned Parenthood health centers.
Stop the Attack on Title X

Vice-President Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to dismantle President Obama's

rule protecting access to basic health care services through the Title X family
planning program. Help us have the resources to stop attacks on women's access
to health care.

MAKE AN EMERGENCY GIFT

Be a PP Defender

Defenders are a core group of supporters who have said they'll give their time to
defend Planned Parenthood, the health services they provide, and the people who
rely on them in what just may be the fight of our lives.

ACT NOW
Fight for Birth Control Access

HHS Secretary Tom Price is putting no-copay birth control coverage at risk.
Demand that he and the administration protect full insurance coverage of birth
control with no copay.

SEND YOUR MESSAGE