Did you hear the latest fake news? Late last week the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump’s “Protect Life Rule” partially defunding Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers receiving federal funds via Title X is legal and can now be enforced. Title X is a $300 million government program providing family planning and related preventive health services.
Why do I call this fake news? Because the Rule does little to defund Planned Parenthood, and it does absolutely nothing to reduce the number of abortions they provide despite the loud hosanna’s being heaped on Trump by pro-life organizations — many of whom profit nearly as much from abortion as the baby butchers themselves.
GOOD NEWS! The 9th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling allowing @realDonaldTrump's #ProtectLifeRule to go into effect during litigationhttps://t.co/CLJ5a954jK
— SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) July 11, 2019
We're still jazzed about yesterday's huge pro-life victory!
Who's with us!https://t.co/2PprWaH97d
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) July 12, 2019
Though the Protect Life Act was officially launched back in February, the man Family Research Council President Tony Perkins once called “the most pro-life president in history” originally proposed the idea in May 2018 in a vain attempt to prevent the Blue Tsunami in the midterms. Despite claims to the contrary at the time, nothing in the Rule prevents Planned Parenthood from continuing to receive the nearly $60 million in Title X funding — a fact confirmed by a White House official on the same day Trump announced it:
“This proposal does not necessarily defund Planned Parenthood, as long as they’re willing to disentangle taxpayer funds from abortion as a method of family planning, which is required by Title X law.”
It’s been illegal to use taxpayer funds to finance murdering unborn babies since the Hyde Amendment became law in 1976, so Trump’s revolutionary proposal was nothing but a restatement of existing law. And even with the Hyde Amendment, Planned Parenthood still receives about $500 million a year under Trump’s presidency.
If it’s illegal, how is it possible for Planned Parenthood to keep collecting its taxpayer-funded blood money? Fungibility.
When the federal government sends Planned Parenthood a check, funds once allocated to pay for what Donald Trump calls the “good part” of their work are freed up to bankroll the murder of over 321,000 unborn babies a year (based on recent numbers). To put it another way, Planned Parenthood is able to make nearly all of its non-government revenue from killing babies since taxpayers are paying for everything else.
The simple reality is the Protect Life Rule fails in every measurable way to deliver on the rhetoric:
- Even if it truly prevented Planned Parenthood from collecting $60 million in Title X funds, Trump and the GOP already have taxpayers on the hook for nearly $500 million per year (as stated above) in subsidies to the abortion mill.
- Because money is fungible, Planned Parenthood can continue performing abortions using Title X funds simply by incorporating a bit of creative bookkeeping.
- Per the administration, Title X money can still go to Planned Parenthood so long as the organization “disentangles” taxpayer funds (see fungibility above) by conducting their infanticide at a different location, a location that can even be in the same building.
- In the end, Planned Parenthood won’t lose one red cent in Title X funds.
Here’s an irony for you: Trump and the GOP can raise 2020 funds by claiming they partially defunded Planned Parenthood, while Democrats and the Far-Left can raise 2020 funds by making the same claim. Two birds with one stone lie. A Unibrow classic.
The reality is Trump’s intentionally and deceptively misnamed Protect Life Rule protects abortion, not life. Still, Trump will take credit for defunding Planned Parenthood even though he didn’t … and the cult will cheer him for it.
David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative.
His daily radio commentary is distributed by the Salem Radio Network and is heard on stations across America.
Follow the Strident Conservative on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to receive podcasts of radio commentaries: iTunes | Stitcher | Tune In | RSS
2 comments for “Trump’s Title X “Protect Life Rule” protects abortion, not life”