The Supreme Court refused a request from Oklahoma to restore federal funding that the Biden administration stripped from the state because of its pro-life laws.
Last November, Oklahoma sued the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over being denied Title X family planning funding, which the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) had been receiving for over 40 years. Oklahoma and Tennessee were both denied Title X funding by the Biden-Harris administration because of the states’ pro-life laws — and the funding was redirected to Planned Parenthood instead.
“HHS seeks to punish Oklahoma for the policies adopted by Oklahoma’s elected representatives to protect unborn life,” the lawsuit said. “HHS is interfering with rights reserved to the people and their elected representatives despite a clear federal mandate that Title X funds should not be used in programs where abortion is offered as a method of family planning.”
Governor Kevin Stitt also responded in a statement, saying, “Oklahoma stands up for life. The Biden administration’s actions to terminate our healthcare funding due to our pro-life laws is simply an abuse of power. These funds are essential to provide necessary services for Oklahomans across the state.”
Oklahoma asked the Supreme Court to put an emergency order in place, blocking the Biden administration from denying their funding. That request was denied, with no explanation given. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch, however, all said they would have granted the application.
Currently, for Oklahoma to receive funding, the state would need to be willing to counsel women on how to get an abortion. “While the denial is obviously disappointing, Attorney General Drummond is pleased that three Supreme Court justices were willing to step in and stop the Biden Administration’s lawless overreach at this preliminary juncture,” Phil Bacharach, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s communications director, said in a statement to KGOU.
While this is not the result Oklahoma wanted, this is not the end of the battle over Title X funding. Oklahoma and 11 other states challenged the Biden-Harris administration, and that case is still pending in lower courts.
