Texas health officials put Planned Parenthood on notice that the state plans to defund the organization within the next 30 days.
The state’s move will block $3 million in Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood and this could affect nearly 11,000 low-income people, according to a legal document obtained Wednesday.
However, the organization is planning to fight in court and attempt to get the halt in funding blocked.
“Planned Parenthood continues to serve Medicaid patients and will seek a preliminary injunction in an ongoing lawsuit filed in November 2015, following the state’s original threats to take action against Planned Parenthood’s patients,” said the organization to The Texas Texas Tribune.
Texas started to make a major push to remove Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program since October of 2015. This is when the organization was exposed of selling the body parts from aborted babies in a series of videos.
One of the videos was particularly cringe-worthy, where President of the Planned Parenthood Medical Director’s Council, Mary Gatter discusses the “less crunchy” techniques to remove the fetuses to keep them better intact for selling.
In the notice sent, Texas identified the disturbing videos as the basis of the funding block.
The organization continues to argue that the videos were heavily edited and they do not profit from selling fetal tissue.
Planned Parenthood has somehow not been charged, even though there have been 13 investigations in different states on the issue.
Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s president was quick to respond stating that defunding the organization is a reckless move by Texas.
“Texas is a cautionary tale for the rest of the nation,” said Richards in a statement. “With this action, the state is doubling down on reckless policies that have been absolutely devastating for women.”
Texas has led the way, but 14 other states have taken steps to halt the funding for Planned Parenthood. The organization gets $500 million annually a year in federal funds.
It seems as though President-elect Donald Trump agrees with Texas as he has formerly pledged on his campaign trail to defund Planned Parenthood.
“Governor Abbott has made clear that Texas will not subsidize an organization that admits a willingness to alter an abortion procedure in order to profit off the harvesting of baby body parts,” according to a statement from his office.
Texas announced a plan earlier this year, that burials and cremation of aborted fetal tissue should be conducted.
But then the U.S. Supreme Court blocked an anti-abortion law in Texas that would only allow 10 abortion clinics to remain open.
However, with Obama exiting office in a month, Texas will finally be able to move in a conservative direction and will hopefully see less opposition from the federal government on pro-life legislation.