Trump Fights for Pro-Life Doctors, Nurses to Not Participate in Abortions

The Trump administration has taken a stand for pro-life medical professionals, ruling that Illinois violated federal law by forcing doctors and nurses to refer patients for abortions against their conscience.

That’s a move that could strip the state of federal health care funding if not corrected.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights issued a Notice of Violation on January 21, finding that Illinois’ Health Care Right of Conscience Act discriminates against pro-life providers who refuse to participate in abortion referrals.

The law, passed in 2016, requires health care workers to provide information or referrals for abortions even if they object on moral or religious grounds, contravening federal protections.

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In a letter to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, HHS stated that the act “discriminates against conscientious objectors who are unwilling to participate personally in these abortion referral and arrangement activities.”

Federal laws “require that states like Illinois that receive certain federal funds not discriminate against physicians and other protected health care entities on those bases,” the letter added.

The violation stems from complaints filed by the Thomas More Society, a pro-life legal group, and others including Alliance Defending Freedom and an individual physician.

HHS cited the Coats-Snowe Amendment of 1996, which prohibits government entities receiving federal funds from discriminating against providers who refuse to perform or refer for abortions, and the Weldon Amendment of 2005, which bars funding to programs that discriminate based on refusal to perform, pay for or refer for abortions.

Illinois has 30 days to remedy the issue or risk losing federal health care dollars.

Pro-life advocates hailed the decision as a victory against state coercion that undermines conscience rights in medicine.

Peter Breen, executive vice president of the Thomas More Society, lambasted Illinois for “weaponizing [HCRCA] to punish pro-life medical professionals and pregnancy centers.”

“HHS has now confirmed that gutting precious conscience protections violates federal law,” Breen continued. “The financial consequences for the state could be significant if they continue to trample conscience rights.”

When the law was enacted, the ACLU of Illinois argued that patients “do not need to worry that they are being denied medical information based on their health care provider’s religious beliefs.”

But pro-life groups contend it forces participation in ending unborn lives, ignoring the original intent of conscience protections.

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