WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) led 24 of their Republican colleagues in introducing legislation to close loopholes that allow Title X family planning funds to go to entities that perform abortions, including Planned Parenthood.

“The Biden administration will take advantage of every possible loophole to use taxpayer dollars to promote abortion on demand. Taxpayer dollars should never be used to perform or promote an abortion, particularly when discussing family planning matters,” said Risch. “The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act keeps taxpayer dollars out of the pockets of pro-abortion organizations.”

“Abortion providers must be cut off, once and for all, from loopholes allowing them to misappropriate taxpayer dollars to fund abortions,” said Crapo.

“Abortion providers have a long history of misappropriating taxpayer dollars to quietly fund the industry, and we must close those loopholes,”  said Blackburn. “The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act will help end taxpayer funded support for the abortion industry and protect the unborn.”

Risch, Crapo, and Blackburn were joined by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla).

The legislation is endorsed by Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, Americans United for Life, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities, March for Life, National Right to Life Committee, and Students for Life Action.

The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act:

• Prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from providing federal family planning grants to entities that perform abortions.
• Strips Planned Parenthood and other Title X clinics of taxpayer funding that ought to go to comprehensive healthcare alternatives instead. 
• Makes exceptions for abortions where: (1) the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest; or (2) a physician certifies that the woman suffers from a physical disorder, injury, or illness that would place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy. Hospitals are exempt unless they provide funds to non-hospital entities that perform abortions. 
• Requires that HHS provide an annual report to Congress that includes: (1) information on grantees who perform abortions under the exceptions; and (2) a list of entities to which grant funds are made available.

Full text of the legislation is available  here .

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