Trump’s DOJ has issued a new legal opinion barring federal funds from being used for transportation and other “ancillary services” helping people obtain abortions.
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TheTrumpadministrationreversedaBiden-eralegalopinionfromtheDepartmentofJusticeonThursdaythatpermittedtaxpayerdollarstobeusedforancillaryservicesassociatedwithhelpingsomeoneobtainanabortion,suchastransportationcosts.
Thepolicywasparticularlyusedinaidingunaccompaniedminormigrantstogetabortions,accordingtotheTrumpadministration.
InthewakeoftheSupremeCourt’sdecisiontooverturnRoev.Wadein2022,theHealthandHumanServicesDepartmenttooktheviewthattaxpayerdollars–eventhoughprohibitedbyCongressfrombeingusedtopayforabortionsdirectlyundertheHydeAmendment–couldbeusedtoprovidetransportationservicesforpatientsseekinganabortion.TheJusticeDepartment’sOfficeofLegalCounsel(OLC),chargedwithinterpretingthelawsforthepresidentandexecutivebranchagencies,agreedatthetimeundertheBidenadministration.
However,thatinterpretationandopi