Trump religious conservatives seek to muzzle and bankrupt care for America’s poorest women

Washington, DC – President Trump’s administration announced plans to seek to put in place a domestic “gag rule” restricting family planning facilities receiving federal Title X funds from mentioning abortion. Jon O’Brien, President of Catholics for Choice, issued the following statement in response:

“This move is the latest step in a concerted strategy by the Trump administration to privilege religious ultraconservatives at the expense of women across this country. Just like the global gag rule, this decision is a calculated and callous measure to muzzle and bankrupt healthcare facilities that serve the poorest among us.

A domestic gag rule goes against the foundational principles of our nation that protect free speech—especially the ability of doctors to speak freely with their patients about their rights and their options to medical care, including their legal right to seek an abortion if necessary.

Title X facilities are a lifeline for America’s working poor, including communities of color. It is simply cruel to deny America’s most vulnerable women with the medical information they need to make informed ethical choices about their bodies that can save their lives and help them thrive. As people of faith committed to social justice, we believe in the freedom of all individuals to make their own conscience-driven choices— America’s poorest women are no less worthy of this right.”

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