States Push Court to Uphold Block on Abortion ‘Gag’ Rule

A federal appeals court should affirm orders that allow family planning care providers to continue counseling their clients about abortion, states and the providers said.

The states and private counseling centers that receive taxpayer money June 28 urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to reject the federal government’s call to overturn nationwide injunctions that are blocking it from enforcing a new rule applicable to Title X program grantees.

Title X is the only federal program that funds family planning services. The new rule prohibits grantees from performing, promoting, referring for, or supporting abortion as a method ...