Federal judge in Yakima rules against cutting off federal funding for abortion
YAKIMA, Wash - The battle over abortion, fought in Yakima on Thursday at the William O. Douglas Federal Courthouse.
Thursday afternoon a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against a Trump administration rule that would have cut off federal funding for abortion.
The hearing was not about whether abortion should be legal or illegal, but the legality of the ruling to end federal funding.
Judge Stanley Bastian heard the case filed by the state of Washington and several other groups including the ACLU, National Family Planning and several other states in the U.S.
The suit argues that the Trump administration's policy to cut off federal funding for abortion and other family planning services is constitutional and violates Title X.
Ruth Harlow, one of the attorneys for the plaintiff, says this can't happen.
“And this program has been in effect for five decades through republican and democrat, um, administrations and is an essential safety net so that everyone has a choice about their reproductive rights," Harlow said.
The defense argued that the new law doesn't prevent the states from funding abortion.
Judge Bastian heard from both sides and after lunch made his ruling.
He ruled the plaintiffs presented enough evidence the new law would make it difficult and in some cases impossible for low-income women to get family planning services.
“And this new regulation would have made it instead of health care, instead of access to what the patient wants, this would have made it something where, um, providers had to direct you about your own choices," Harlow said.
Because of this and other factors, he issued the injunction.
People in favor of the lawsuit were very pleased and a little emotional.
“This decision means our providers can continue to do the good care they’re doing all across the country," National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association President and CEO Clare Coleman said. "They can do that with confidence and their patients can walk through the doors of trust and high quality that they’ve always come to.”
Judge Bastian is expected to finalize his ruling next week, as early as Monday.
While this is a victory for the state and people who are pro-choice, this is far from over.
They plan to do everything they can to make it a permanent injunction.
“Our hope and our commitment is to fight to the last hour, we know the administration will continue to try to put this rule into place and it’s our role working with the providers and thinking of the patients to do everything we can to ensure this rule never goes into effect," Coleman said.
Judge Bastian also thanked attorneys from both sides for their professionalism in this case, because anything related to abortion is usually a very hot topic.
