Trump signs bill allowing states to withhold federal money from abortion providers like Planned Parenthood

President Trump signs.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

President Trump signed a bill Thursday that allows states to refuse to give abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood any federal money, CNN reports. The bill is a reversal of a regulation put in place by former President Barack Obama. "The previous Department of Health and Human Services regulation, which took effect two days before Mr. Trump's inauguration, said that states and localities could not withhold money from a provider for any reason other than an inability to provide family planning services," The New York Times writes.

Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie breaking vote in the Senate in late March after two Republicans refused to support the measure. House Speaker Paul Ryan called the bill a "major pro-life victory" and other conservatives have cheered it on as a victory for states' rights.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.