The United States House of Representatives has approved a resolution permitting states to withhold federal funds from abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. The vote on Thursday passed by 230 to 188, largely along party lines, with Republicans in support.
The measure, HJ Res 43, would overturn a rule instituted by the Obama administration which banned states from withholding federal dollars from groups that provide abortions. That rule had been introduced after a dozen conservative states denied funds to Planned Parenthood through the Nixon-era family planning programme Title X.
Planned Parenthood, which provides birth control, STD testing, cancer screenings, breast examinations and pregnancy terminations, receives hundreds of millions of dollars annually from the federal government but is legally barred from using that money for abortions. Anti-abortion Republicans hailed the vote, with New Jersey Representative Chris Smith calling the organisation 'Child Abuse Inc'. Critics warned that low-income and young women would be most affected. Democratic Congresswoman Diana DeGette accused Republican leaders of making 'attacking women's health care their top priority'.
The resolution is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Donald Trump. Separately, an Oklahoma bill requiring women to obtain permission from their sexual partner for an abortion cleared its first legislative hurdle this week.
