‘I will not stand by while the overzealous Biden Administration attempts to harm Oklahomans in desperate need of healthcare services,’ Attorney General Gentner Drummond said
By Calvin Freiburger
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed for an injunction against the Biden administration in the state’s months-long dispute with the federal government over what critics call a flagrant attempt at discrimination over the state’s pro-life stance using Title X “family planning” funds.
Last May, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) announced that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) deemed the state’s Title X program “out of compliance” due to “technical inconsistencies with HHS rules,” although “ongoing conversations” with federal health officials were continuing. The move suspended $4.5 million in federal dollars that the state was getting. Many suspected the change was retaliation for Oklahoma’s pro-life policies, given HHS’s history of adverse actions against pro-life states and President Joe Biden’s avowed pro-abortion stance.
Drummond sued in November, accusing the administration of redirecting the money to pro-abortion groups in violation of restrictions on taxpayer funding of elective abortions.
On January 29, the Attorney General’s office announced that it is seeking a preliminary injunction against the Biden HHS from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma in a motion arguing that Title X funds cannot legally be “used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning” and that “Title X in no way requires abortion referrals for a State’s continued participation.”
“I will not stand by while the overzealous Biden Administration attempts to harm Oklahomans in desperate need of healthcare services,” Drummond said. “Oklahoma should not be punished for having pro-life policies that clash with President Biden’s liberal agenda.”
Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt gave Drummond his full support, adding that “President Biden is playing political games with the health care needs of countless Oklahomans all because of our pro-family values. It’s wrong. The State of Oklahoma won’t stand idly by while the Biden Administration holds millions of federal dollars hostage, and I applaud General Drummond for taking swift action to combat this outrageous abuse of power.”
Fourteen states currently ban all or most abortions, with available data so far indicating that now-enforceable pro-life laws could effectively wipe out an estimated 200,000 abortions a year.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion allies have pursued a variety of tactics to keep the abortion industry going, including increased taxpayer funding for abortion where it remains legal and opposition to entities that help mitigate the so-called “need” for abortion, such as crisis pregnancy centers and adoption agencies.
The Biden administration touts its “whole-of-government effort to protect reproductive rights” (a popular euphemism for legal abortion on demand), including increased taxpayer funding for abortion at home and abroad and attempted waiving of federal safety rules against distributing abortion pills by mail.
Last month, Biden met with his White House Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access to discuss “new actions” on Roe’s anniversary. Vice President Kamala Harris simultaneously announced the launch of a “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour to highlight the left-wing administration’s pushback against pro-life legislation and new efforts to ensure that women can continue getting abortions in the U.S.
The administration described new moves to make sure “that women have access to contraception” and force employers to pay for contraception. It’s also working to advance “education” of patients and healthcare providers on ensuring “access to emergency medical care required under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)” (the Biden administration is attempting to use the statute to force emergency room doctors to perform abortions under certain circumstances). The fact sheet also highlights a renewed push “to support safe access to legal medication abortion.”
Biden has also called on Congress to codify a “right” to abortion in federal law, which would not only restore but expand the Roe status quo by making it illegal for states to pass virtually any pro-life laws. The 2024 elections will determine whether Democrats retain the White House and keep or gain enough seats in Congress to make that happen.
Editor’s note. This appeared at Life Site News and reposted with permission.