EXCLUSIVE: Biden Rule Would Deprive Pregnancy Resource Centers of Funds and Favor Abortion Groups, Conservatives Warn

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization, Advancing American Freedom, is leading conservative groups in calling on Republicans in Congress to defund a pro-abortion rule backed by President Joe Biden’s administration that would punish pro-life centers.

“We, as leaders of the pro-life movement, request that you defund the rulemaking process for the Biden administration’s proposed rule, ‘Strengthening [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)] as a Safety Net and Work Program,’” the conservative groups told House Republicans in a Friday letter first obtained by The Daily Signal.

“This proposed rule (88 FR 67697) would prohibit pregnancy centers and alternative-to-abortion programs from receiving millions of dollars a year in TANF funding while directing that same funding to Planned Parenthoods and other abortion centers favored by the Biden Administration,” they added.

Those groups signing the letter include Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the Family Research Council, Students for Life of America, Heritage Action, American Accountability Foundation Action, the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and CatholicVote. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation, of which Heritage Action is the grassroots arm.)

“Depriving pregnancy resource centers of funds is just another example of the Biden Administration’s war on life,” the conservative leaders wrote. “The needless targeting of pro-life centers will only hurt women and children, when they are at their most vulnerable.”

“We certainly understand the current political reality in Washington, but by defunding this rulemaking process, you can deliver a win for women and children across America,” they added. “We strongly encourage you to defund the rulemaking process for the proposed rule ‘Strengthening TANF as a Safety Net and Work Program’ in upcoming appropriations bills.”

In December, Republican lawmakers opposed the proposed rule and asked Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to immediately withdraw it, writing: “The Proposed Rule, however, would undermine the TANF program and threaten to strip millions of dollars in support for pregnant women and their unborn babies through pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and alternatives to abortion programs. We urge you to withdraw the Proposed Rule immediately.”

HHS had singled out pregnancy resource centers and stated that those programs “likely do not meet the reasonable person standard because the connection to preventing and reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies is tenuous or nonexistent,” the lawmakers explained.

They expressed concerns that this was merely another attempt by Biden’s administration to “funnel taxpayer dollars to the abortion industry,” adding: “Chillingly, HHS suggests TANF support for pregnancy centers should be steered toward family planning programs more typical of the business models of Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry instead. Specifically, HHS states TANF funds should be directed to ‘comprehensive sex education, family planning services, pregnancy prevention programs, and community mobilization services for at-risk youth that increase access to pregnancy prevention programs for teens.’” 

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