President Trump may cut federal funding to abortion clinics through regulations, The Hill reported.

Pro-lifers have asked the Trump administration to bring back restrictions on federal family planning funds. The restrictions were issued by President Reagan in the 1980s. Democrats call it a “domestic gag rule.” The regulations weren’t put into effect in 1988. However, they were later upheld by the Supreme Court.

Proposed Regulations

The regulations would ban clinics that receive Title X funding from promoting abortions. It would also ban them from referring patients for abortions. The Title X Family Planning Program provides funding for family planning. It also provides funding for related health services for low-income or uninsured people.

Eighty-five pro-life groups sent letters to HHS Secretary Alex Azar to bring back Reagan’s regulations. Additionally, 196 members of the House and Senate did the same.

Kelly Marcum is a legislative assistant for the Family Research Council. She said that if Trump enacted the regulations it would be a “huge motivator” for the right. “Getting a win on the pro-life side, even if it’s regulatory rather than legislative, would be huge,” said Marcum. It would also “encourage people to come out and vote for the members who pushed for action on this.”

Marcum added that it’s a way to cut Planned Parenthood federal funding. It would also reinforce the idea that “abortion is not family planning.”

Democrats Respond

Democrats are not happy. Forty-five Senate Democrats sent letters of their own to Azar. “We strongly oppose efforts to undermine the integrity of the Title X program,” they stated. It would “harm the millions of people who rely on it for care.”

Dawn Laguens is Planned Parenthood’s Executive Vice President. She called the proposal “outrageous.”

This is a domestic gag rule — and would be a radical departure from the way health care has operated in the United States up until now. It would prohibit any health care provider from sharing information about, referring patients for, or even mentioning the word abortion if they serve patients through Title X. This would have devastating consequences, and essentially dismantle the nation’s program for affordable birth control and reproductive health care, which 4 million people rely on. This policy is dangerous — it would keep women from having information, and from getting the best health care possible.”

Not ‘Family Planning’

Rep. Diane Black, R-TN, noted that federal funds are “funneled to abortion service sites.” She hopes that Azar will stop funding abortion mills like Planned Parenthood.

She said the abortion giant calls abortion family planning. “It is family destruction, and it’s time to ensure that our money is funding actual family planning programs, and not our nation’s largest abortion provider.”

Rep Chris Smith, R-NJ, called the Title X program a “slush fund” for Planned Parenthood. “Planned Parenthood dismembers or chemically poisons a baby to death every two minutes — killing over 7 million innocent children since 1973. I hope that the Administration will finally turn off this funding stream for Planned Parenthood.”

President Trump’s Previous Pro-Life Actions

President Trump has already made huge strides for the pro-life cause. He reinstated the “Mexico City policy.” The Mexico City policy bans foreign NGOs from receiving taxpayer dollars if they provide or promote abortions. He also rolled back Obama-era guidance. The guidance protected Planned Parenthood from the states’ efforts to defund them. In addition, Trump gave exemptions to employers who did not want to provide birth control to employees based on moral or religious objections.

Pro-life advocates are optimistic. “The administration has said they’re on our side with this, and we’re excited,” said Marcum. “Hopefully Secretary Azar, who is very pro-life, will act on this soon.”