In "Victory for Patients and Doctors," Federal Judge Says He Will Block Trump's "Arrogant" Gag Rule Gutting Title X Funding

A federal judge on Tuesday night ruled that he would block President Donald Trump’s proposed rule gutting the Title X healthcare funding program, which would limit and control the healthcare that’s available to American women.

Judge Michael McShane of the U.S. District Court of Oregon called Trump’s proposed rule, which was set to go into effect May 3, “a ham-fisted approach to public health policy.”

McShane’s decision to issue a preliminary injunction against the rule came in response to two lawsuits filed by Planned Parenthood, the American Medical Association (AMA), and a coalition of 20 states.

Women’s rights advocates were outraged in February when the administration announced the rule, which would strip tens of millions of dollars from the Title X program. Title X provides federal funding to Planned Parenthood and other clinics which provide abortion care, to subsidize reproductive healthcare for low-income Americans.

The “gag rule” would also ban Planned Parenthood and any healthcare provider which accepts federal dollars from counseling women on abortion care and making referrals for abortions.

“At the heart of these rules is an arrogant assumption that the government is better suited to direct women’s healthcare than their providers,” the judge said in his ruling.