Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Administration Needs To Pump Brakes On Overhaul Of $260M Family Planning Program, Democrats Say
The Washington Post: Democrats Call On Trump Administration To Delay Title X Family Planning Rule, Citing ‘Serious Concerns’
Democratic members of Congress are asking the Trump administration to slow down efforts to overhaul the $260 million family planning program, citing issues with what they call an “unconventional and nontransparent” review process. The proposed changes to the Title X program, which were announced last May, are a top priority of conservatives who helped elect the president. They would bar clinics that provide abortion services or referrals from receiving federal family-planning funds. A wide range of critics — from medical groups to abortion rights activists — have decried the effort as an attack on Planned Parenthood, which stands to lose millions of dollars a year if the changes go into effect. (Cha, 2/15)
In other news on the administration's policies —
The Associated Press: Lawsuit Claims Discrimination By Foster Agency
A Catholic mother accuses a federally funded South Carolina foster agency of not working with her because she's "not the right kind of Christian," her lawyers say. In a federal lawsuit filed Friday, Aimee Maddonna and her lawyers say Miracle Hill Ministries is unconstitutionally discriminating against non-Protestants. The lawsuit challenges a waiver granted this year to the Greenville agency, which previously has come under fire for denying services to same-sex couples and non-Christian families. (Kinnard, 2/15)
