Originally published at National Catholic Register
Recent comments by Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance that a second Trump administration would eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood underscore the reality that despite the campaign’s emphasis on making abortion largely a state issue, a second Donald Trump administration would have many policy levers at its disposal.
While greeted as news, Vance’s comments merely echo actions taken by the Trump administration, which in 2019 finalized a Department of Health and Human Services regulation or rule that prohibited federal family-planning funds, known as Title X funds, from going to organizations that refer to or provide abortions. This move led Planned Parenthood to stop participating in the grant program, realizing — even if for a brief time — a long-stated pro-life goal.
Even with Trump and the 2024 Republican platform emphasizing “that power has been given to the States and to a vote of the People” in determining abortion laws, severing the federal government from abortion policy will be most unlikely, given the myriad of federal policies and regulations that impact abortion directly or indirectly, including recent actions taken by the Biden administration, which includes Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.
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