Home » Biden-era policy indirectly paying for unaccompanied minors’ abortions rescinded by Trump DOJ

Biden-era policy indirectly paying for unaccompanied minors’ abortions rescinded by Trump DOJ

Trump’s DOJ has issued a new legal opinion barring federal funds from being used for transportation and other “ancillary services” helping people obtain abortions.

TheTrumpadministrationreversedaBiden-eralegalopinionfromtheDepartmentofJusticeonThursdaythatpermittedtaxpayerdollarstobeusedforancillaryservicesassociatedwithhelpingsomeoneobtainanabortion,suchastransportationcosts.  Thepolicywasparticularlyusedinaidingunaccompaniedminormigrantstogetabortions,accordingtotheTrumpadministration. InthewakeoftheSupremeCourt’sdecisiontooverturnRoev.Wadein2022,theHealthandHumanServicesDepartmenttooktheviewthattaxpayerdollars–eventhoughprohibitedbyCongressfrombeingusedtopayforabortionsdirectlyundertheHydeAmendment–couldbeusedtoprovidetransportationservicesforpatientsseekinganabortion.TheJusticeDepartment’sOfficeofLegalCounsel(OLC),chargedwithinterpretingthelawsforthepresidentandexecutivebranchagencies,agreedatthetimeundertheBidenadministration.   However,thatinterpretationandopi