Baltimore City Sues Trump Administration To Block Abortion Referral Rules That Could Cost City $1.4M
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore City is suing the Trump administration to prevent a federal regulation that they allege will restrict access to abortions for low-income people.
The City filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent a federal regulation from taking effect in May that would "severely restrict access to reproductive health care for low-income people,"
Title X clinics in the City currently serve over 16,000 patients each year in family planning, cancer screening and other preventative health services.
In the lawsuit filed last Friday, Baltimore alleges the rule violates several federal statutes- including provisions of the Affordable Care Act, Title X itself, the Administrative Procedures Act, and the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act—and is "an unconstitutional infringement of the rights to free speech, sex equality, and to access abortion,"
The City said it would lose its $1.4 million Title X funding for reproductive health services at the same time that other providers close and patients lose access to services.
"I commend our Health and Law Departments for working together to protect our residents' health and rights," said ex officio Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young. "Safeguarding our citizens' access to essential care is paramount. This is the Baltimore City government I am proud to lead."
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