King Seeks to Restore Full Family Planning Funding, Rescind Former Administration’s Title X Policies

Joins bipartisan letter saying “Rebuilding the Title X program, which cannot begin until the rule is rescinded, is one of the most important ways that the Biden administration can support access to family planning and other essential health care services during this challenging time for our country.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined over 150 colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives to urge the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to rescind the former administration’s Title X policies, including the

domestic gag rule, that restricted access to vital family planning and sexual health services. As directed by President Biden at the beginning of his presidency, HHS is undergoing a review of the Title X rules issued under the Trump administration.

“We believe that this review will make clear that the changes made to the Title X program resulted in numerous harms to patients and community health, and that the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates immediate rescission of the current rule,” wrote the Members of Congress.

As the letter continued, the Members discussed the harm that the current rules have caused. “Title X is the nation’s only dedicated source of federal funding for family planning services, and it is essential we restore the capacity of this vital program… Unfortunately, the predictions of curtailed access to critical family planning and sexual health services have proven correct: more than 1,000 health centers withdrew from the program following the rule’s implementation; 844,083 fewer patients received Title X-funded services in 2019 than did in 2018; six states have no Title X-funded health centers; and providers and community members across the country have struggled to maintain access to care under the onerous terms of the rule.”

Senator King is a staunch defender of women’s access to reproductive health care, and strongly believes that a woman’s healthcare decisions should be between her and her doctor. Senator King was outspoken in urging the Trump administration to reverse the gag rule compromising the Title X family planning program and the healthcare of millions of people who rely on Title X-funded providers for cancer screenings, STI screenings, contraceptive care, family planning services, and more. Senator King opposed the Trump administration’s gag rule when it was first announced, and condemned the rule again after Maine Family Planning announced it would withdraw from the Title X program rather than limit the quality of care it provides to patients. In May 2019, he joined his colleagues in the Senate to introduce a resolution asserting support for women’s reproductive rights. The resolution came on the heels of legislative efforts in Georgia, Alabama, and other states intended to undermine women’s reproductive rights and ultimately overturn Roe v. Wade.

The full letter can be read here