White House to pause grants for Planned Parenthood, others: report
Texas midwife, man charged with providing abortions
Two people accused of illegally providing abortions in the Houston area have been arrested, according to the Waller County District Attorney's Office.
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to pause roughly $20 million in federal funding for Planned Parenthood as it reviews whether the family planning organization is complying with President Trump’s order to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reports that the administration will also freeze another $120 million for other family planning groups to undergo the same review on their DEI programs.
What would Trump’s new executive order do?
What we know:
The funding pause will impact family planning groups that offer pregnancy testing, access to birth control, infertility services and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, according to the WSJ.
Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading reproductive health-care provider and abortion rights advocacy organization.
RELATED: Trump administration asks Supreme Court to block rehiring of fired federal workers
An official for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it’s reviewing all grant contracts to make sure they’re in compliance with Trump’s DEI orders.
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Planned Parenthood billboard. (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
What we don't know:
It’s unclear how such a funding cut would impact Planned Parenthood and other family planning organizations, or whether the groups have changed their DEI policies since Trump took office.
Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, offered the following statement when FOX TV Stations asked for comment:
"This is blackmail. President Trump and Elon Musk are holding Planned Parenthood patients hostage by slashing funds from birth control providers who receive Title X grants.
"The Trump-Vance-Musk administration wants to shut down Planned Parenthood health centers by any means necessary, and they’ll end people’s access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more to do it. This is shameful yet unsurprising — and we won’t let it happen without a fight."
Trump’s executive order on DEI
Trump orders all federal DEI employees put on leave
The White House’s Office of Personnel Management notified heads of agencies and departments that they must begin taking steps to close all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices and place government workers in those offices on paid leave, Fox News Digital has learned.
The backstory:
Trump signed an order his first day in office directing federal agencies to terminate all "equity-related" grants or contracts. He signed a follow-up order requiring federal contractors to certify that they don’t promote DEI.
RELATED: Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI programs reinstated by appeals court
What they’re saying: Efforts to increase diversity long have been under attack by Republicans who contend the measures threaten merit-based hiring, promotion and educational opportunities for white people.
The other side:
Supporters say the programs help institutions meet the needs of increasingly diverse populations while addressing the lasting impacts of systemic racism.
The Source: This report includes information from The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting.