By CatholicVote | Created at 2025-04-03 19:31:06 | Updated at 2025-04-04 16:47:52
21 hours ago
CV NEWS FEED // The Trump administration has restored millions in Title X funding to Oklahoma and Tennessee, two states previously cut off under the Biden administration for refusing to provide abortion referrals.
In 2023, Biden’s Health and Human Services (HHS) revoked funding after labeling the states’ pro-life services “out of compliance” with federal rules, as CatholicVote previously reported.
Following the decision, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., wrote to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, demanding that the funds be reinstated: “HHS has chosen to prioritize abortion instead of prioritizing actual health care, by suspending Title X funding awarded to [the Oklahoma State Department of Health] because of its obligation to abide by federal law and the state laws of Oklahoma.”
“Abortion is not family planning,” he added. “It is family destruction.”
Both states filed lawsuits challenging the decision. According to Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, the new award notices issued this week appear tied to settlements in those cases.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health confirmed it received $1.96 million in restored Title X funds. Tennessee officials also acknowledged the award notice but have not yet announced how it will be used.
Title X, often referred to as “family planning funding,” is the only federal program focused on providing reproductive health services to low-income individuals.
According to the HHS website, Title X recipients offer a range of services, including cancer screenings, prenatal care, STD treatment, infertility services, and adolescent abstinence counseling.
While the program supports various crucial health services, a significant portion of its funding also goes toward contraceptive distribution.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration also pulled Title X funding from 16 other groups, including 9 Planned Parenthood affiliates, cutting off tens of millions of dollars from the nation’s largest abortion provider.
Coleman was surprised by the Trump administration’s move, according to The Hill. “The government did something that I have never seen before, which is make an award without an application and outside of a competitive cycle,” she said.
The move marks a notable change in federal policy, allowing states to receive Title X funds while maintaining programs that comply with their own laws—without being required to promote abortion.
