Christian anti-abortion clinic chain sues HHS over Title X rules

(Worthy News) - California's Obria Medical Clinics, a chain of anti-abortion pregnancy centers that bills itself as an alternative to Planned Parenthood, sued the Trump administration Monday because it says it will be forced to refer patients for abortions in exchange for accepting federal family planning funds.

At the heart of the challenge is a stayed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that would have barred doctors who work for facilities receiving the funds, known as Title X grants, from directly referring their patients for abortions. The rule was aimed at ending some federal funding of Planned Parenthood. Obria agreed with the rule, but in April, a federal judge blocked it from taking effect, and Obria says that means it will be forced to follow old rules that require grant recipients to offer counseling for abortions and directly refer patients somewhere they can get one.

The Christian organization filed suit Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, saying it faced discrimination over its sincere, faith-based objection to abortion and that the Title X issue was unlikely to be resolved for years. The organization says the rules violate its First Amendment right to free speech, as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and is requesting declaratory and injunctive relief. [ Source: Washington Examiner (Read More...) ]