Staff Reports
The Supreme Court has struck again, putting a firm foot down on Oklahoma’s efforts to sidestep the Biden administration’s abortion agenda. In a decisive 6-3 ruling, the Court has chosen not to intervene as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pulls the financial rug from under the state, withholding a cool $4.5 million in family-planning grant funding. While Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch seemed ready to back Oklahoma’s bid for funding, the majority decided to give a nod to the administration’s demands.
In the world of government grants, it appears that playing nice with abortion referrals is a non-negotiable condition if one wants to keep the cash flowing. HHS decided in 2021 that Title X grant recipients must dutifully provide “neutral, factual information and nondirective counseling” on, you guessed it, abortion. Imagine that: the federal government wielding taxpayer dollars to push an agenda rather than allowing states to prioritize maternal health and alternatives to abortion.
#BREAKING: In a 6-3 order, the Supreme Court says it won't stop the federal government from withholding millions of dollars in funding from Oklahoma because of the state's refusal to refer family planning patients for abortions. #SCOTUS Justices Thomas, Alito & Gorsuch dissent. pic.twitter.com/LKXjqhLtmg
— Katie Buehler (@bykatiebuehler) September 3, 2024
Oklahoma’s argument in this fight was crystal clear. The state’s application pointed out that Title X does not explicitly mandate that states provide abortion counseling or referrals. Instead, it accused HHS of forcing grantees to toe the line of an agenda that many Oklahomans vehemently oppose. Apparently, the fine text of federal law doesn’t matter much when Washington has an agenda to push.
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals stood with HHS in July, effectively shoving a spanner in Oklahoma’s works and agreeing that pulling the grant was acceptable. Now, with the Supreme Court’s inaction, the state finds itself in the absurd position of having to plead for its rightful funds. Instead of being applauded for seeking alternatives to abortion, Oklahoma is being penalized for not conforming to the liberal playbook.
This decision is yet another example of how the current administration is willing to use federal control to impose its views on states. The message is clear: agree with the Biden administration’s stance on abortion, or suffer the consequences while trying to provide real, life-affirming choices for families. Oklahomans can only hope that justice eventually shines its light on this obviously biased system.
