U.S. Bishops’ Pro-Life Chairman on White House Action to Rescind Title X Rule

WASHINGTON - Yesterday, President Biden released a statement announcing his intention to rescind the current regulation governing the Title X family planning program.

The current regulation follows federal law by explaining that abortion cannot be part of a Title X family planning program either by using the same office space, sharing financing, or mandating referrals for abortion. The following statement was issued by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities:

“Although the Catholic Bishops have grave concerns about government promotion of contraceptives, we have long supported efforts to ensure that the provision and promotion of abortion is kept physically and financially out of the pre-pregnancy family planning services provided through the Title X program.

Abortion takes the life of an already-conceived and growing child, and most Americans agree that abortion should not be used as a method of family planning or as a ‘back up’ for failed family planning.

“Title X, therefore, draws a bright line between abortion and family planning. In addition to the program explicitly prohibiting taxpayer funding for abortion, its authors further emphasized this intent by stating that, ‘the funds authorized under this legislation [shall] be used only to support preventive family planning services, population research, infertility services, and other related medical, informational, and educational activities.’ 

By rescinding this rule, the Administration will be forcing abortion into a pre-pregnancy program specifically designed to exclude abortion; a move which is immoral, impractical, and may also be unlawful.”