Did Trump Scrap the Nuke's Deal to Pay Back His Pro-Israel Campaign Donors? So what’s going on here? Did Trump really withdraw from the agreement because he thought it was a bad deal for America or because, as he candidly admitted on Tuesday, “When I make promises, I keep them”? That’s fine, but on whose behalf did Trump make those promises, that’s what we want to know? The American people don’t benefit from a broken “nukes” agreement nor does Trump’s base nor do the frustrated allies nor does the international community. No one benefits. No one except Israel, that is. Israel clearly benefits from the reimposing of economic sanctions, from the weakening of Iran’s economy, from the further isolation of its arch-rival in the region, and from the intensifying of hostilities between Washington and Tehran. Any policy-shift that brings the US closer to a shooting war with Iran, benefits Israel, just as the destruction of Iraq benefited Israel, just as the destruction of Libya benefited Israel, just as the destruction of Syria would have benefited Israel. (had it succeeded.) The elimination of strong, independent secular Arab nations unavoidably enhances Israel’s regional power which is why Israel supports the strategy. When Israel’s enemies get smaller and more fragmented, Israel gets bigger. It’s that simple. What we want to know is whether Trump’s decision was shaped by Israel’s interests or America’s? We also want to know whether Trump’s withdraw will be used as a pretext for dragging the country into a war with Iran? That’s the question that’s on everyone’s mind...Here’s an excerpt from an article by former US Intelligence Officer Paul Pillar: “Two motivations, more than any others, have driven the opposition to the JCPOA. One is the desire to wreck whatever Barack Obama accomplished…..The other major motivation is to stay in step with the preferences of the right-wing government of Israel. The political and financial mechanisms include fear among American politicians of antagonizing the lobby that works on that government’s behalf. They also include wealthy supporters of that government bankrolling advocacy groups dedicated to sustaining tension and confrontation with Iran, with opposition to the JCPOA at the core of that effort. …..it certainly is not in U.S. interests to support the game that Netanyahu is playing with the issue, which is to oppose any and all agreements with Tehran as a way of maintaining Iran as a pariah and a foil, in an effort to distract attention from Israel’s own destabilizing activities and to restrict U.S. diplomatic freedom of action in the Middle East…..Regardless of how much fondness one may have for Israel, it never will be sound policy to subcontract any portion of one’s own nation’s policies to a foreign government. Acting from either or both of these motivations is policy malpractice of the worst kind.” (“Hold the Deal-Killers Accountable”, Paul Pillar, Lobe Log) That sums it up perfectly. Now a few words about Iran: Iran is a long-term victim of US-Israeli belligerence and aggression. The broken nuclear deal is just the latest addition to the 65 year-long litany of hostility and abuse. In 1953, the CIA toppled the Iranian government, installed the Shah, helped to kill or imprison thousands of leftists and dissidents, fast-tracked the issuing of contracts to the giant oil corporations, helped arm and train the Shah’s secret police, the SAVAK, and plunged the country into 26 years of agonizing police-state repression and tyranny. Sound familiar? It should. Washington has followed the same basic blueprint in over 50 countries since the end of World War 2. Regime change is just the way Washington does business. Have you ever wondered what life was like under the Shah? Here’s a brief summary from The Harvard Crimson: “The Shah systematically dismantled the judicial system of Iran and the country’s guarantees of personal and social liberties. …. Nearly every source of creative, artistic and intellectual endeavor in our culture was suppressed. The SAVAK conducted most of the torture, under the friendly guidance of the CIA which set up SAVAK in 1957 and taught them how to interrogate suspects. Amnesty International reports methods of torture that included “whipping and beating, electric shocks, extraction of teeth and nails, boiling water pumped into the rectum, heavy weights hung on the testicles, tying the prisoner to a metal table heated to a white heat, inserting a broken bottle into the anus, and rape.”… The Shah greatly expanded the military and turned it against his own people. With newfound oil wealth the Shah bought $2C million of U.S. arms. The U.S. military trained Iranian officers. Despite claims that a strong army was needed to prevent external aggression, its real purpose became clear when the army murdered more than 50,000 Iranians fighting the Shah.” …. The number of students tortured, lost or murdered is unknown. (“Life Under the Shah“, The Harvard Crimson) This is America’s legacy in Iran: “Whipping, beating, electric shocks, extraction of teeth, boiling water pumped into the rectum, and rape.” The United States will never be able to repay Iran for the 26 year-long reign of terror it inflicted on the country or the ocean of blood generated by the Shah. Washington alone is responsible for that suffering and carnage. In 1979, the Iranian people overthrew Washington’s stooge (Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi) and installed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic. The Ayatollah quickly seized control of the gas and oil industries and began recycling revenues into critical infrastructure, social services and the military. Washington has never forgiven Iran for its act of defiance in restoring its own sovereign independence. Nearly 4 decades later, the US is still doing everything in its power to roll back the revolution and reassert control over Iran’s vast natural wealth. Trump’s impulsive withdraw from the JCPOA is likely part of a broader destabilization plan that is aimed at regime change. If you are one of the millions of people who get their news from the western media, you probably think Iran and the “Mullahs” are the problem not peace-loving Uncle Sam. It’s all baloney. Iran hasn’t had a day’s rest since it removed the miscreant Shah in 1979. The US has never let up on its relentless campaign to oust the government and install another servile lackey who will do their bidding. Did you know that “Forty-five U.S. military bases encircle Iran, with over 125,000 troops in close proximity.” It’s true. Iran is completely surrounded by hostile US forces that are ready to go to war at a moment’s notice. And how many Iranian bases are there on US borders? Not even one. Did you know that the frequently-made claim that “Iran is the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism” is nonsense? It’s a complete fabrication. Think about it. Iran has put its own military personnel in harms way in Syria to fight Sunni extremists. (Al Qaida, Al Nusra, ISIS etc.) Yes, but if Iran isn’t funding, arming and training all those terrorists, then who is? Here’s part of the answer: “U.S. intelligence agencies have supported the acts of violence committed by the Mujahedin-e Khalq—listed by the State Department as a terrorist group (now delisted) that advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic—as well as the Baluchi militant Salafi group Jundullah. An Iranian ethnic minority, Jundullah is a Sunni group aligned with the thinking of al-Qaeda. In 2007, Congress agreed to a Bush administration request of $400 million to escalate covert operations to destabilize Iran’s government, with regime change the ultimate goal. The funding request came at the same time that a National Intelligence Estimate—-the collective work of America’s sixteen spy agencies—concluded that Iran had ceased its efforts to develop nuclear weapons in 2003…. Beginning in 2008, four of Iran’s nuclear scientists were assassinated on the streets of Tehran; the evidence pointed to Israeli agents. In 2011, a military arms depot was blown up, killing 17 people. The incident was similar to a blast in October 2010 at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps missile base in Khorrambad. Both acts of sabotage were attributed to Israel.” (“Rethinking Iran’s Terrorism Designation”, M. Reza Behnam, Counterpunch) ...there’s a heckuva alot of proof that Washington and Tel Aviv have been up to no good, including cyber-warfare (Stuxnet), targeted assassinations, arming anti-government groups (and foreign jihadists in Syria), and all manner of violent covert operations aimed at toppling the government and installing another compliant meat-puppet... http://www.unz.com/mwhitney/did-tru...l-to-pay-back-his-pro-israel-campaign-donors/
Not exactly the interpretation some people would like you to swallow but rather Trump....always looking for a better way over such terrifying type deals paid for by Obama regime which encouraged more terrorism and total oblivion for some and set up the U.S. for Iran's admitted goal for such nuke development....aimed at both "Satans" Bolton: Sanctions 'Possible' on European Companies Doing Business with Iran Bolton, asked whether the United States might impose sanctions on European companies that continue to do business with Iran, told CNN: "It's possible. It depends on the conduct of other governments." ....(but).....Pompeo said he was "hopeful in the days and weeks ahead we can come up with a deal that really works, that really protects the world from Iranian bad behavior, not just their nuclear program, but their missiles and their malign behavior as well." https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/john-bolton-sanctions-iran-nuclear/2018/05/13/id/860020/
Well, with some people calling for the EU nations to go against the US on this it very well may come to that. If it does, we will find out very fast who our true allies are in Europe. I suspect that we will also find out who is allied with the powers that stand behind the CIA and its continued shenanigans in places such as Iran. The CIA is about to experience some of what the FBI has been going through I suspect. The CIA did overthrow the government of Iran in 53 and it also installed the Shah, as a way to keep control of the nation via a brutal religious dictatorship. So where does that leave us now? Who really benefited from the so called deal that was never voted on and was kept secret? Where did that 400 Million in various currencies end up? Who got paid off?
The US Embassy in Jerusalem is now officially open. They basically moved into the US consulate there and threw up a sign.
Interesting times I listened to the ceremony this morning from Jerusalem. I am not schooled in the ins and outs of all this significance. I have always thought it odd my many Protestant friends blind allegiance to the modern state of Israel. Even the prayers during the ceremony were a little over the top from the ministers today and kind of sound end of the world-ish. Sometimes I think the Israelis capitalize on this. But Israel has a right to name it's own capital.
That was another wise decision by Trump rather than go far the billion dollar price tag presented to him for building some type of new embassy. The refurbishing of the consulate was something like $150,000 and remains in apparently a much better location!
White House: Melania Trump treated for kidney condition First lady Melania Trump underwent treatment Monday for a kidney condition and is expected to remain at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the rest of the week, the White House said in a statement. The White House said Trump, 48, went through an embolization procedure for a "benign" condition and had no complications. https://www.politico.com/story/2018...nia-trump-treated-for-kidney-condition-585648 I think this is akin to a catheterization, trying to block blood supply to a, in this case apparently a benign, tumor....to keep it from growing. Prayers for her recovery.
This guy is unbelievable. Will anyone with authority finally call him on all of his conflicts which make this witch hunt, from the beginning, a farce and even criminal. The boomerangs keep returning to the real crooks. One thing though w/o Mueller's time and money consuming joke of an investigation all those DOJ and FBI criminals would still be hidden behind their homemade protections. Mueller may have a conflict — and it leads directly to a Russian oligarch Special counsel Robert Mueller has withstood relentless political attacks, many distorting his record of distinguished government service. But there’s one episode even Mueller’s former law enforcement comrades — and independent ethicists — acknowledge raises legitimate legal issues and a possible conflict of interest in his overseeing the Russia election probe. ...... I was alerted to Deripaska’s past FBI relationship by U.S. officials who wondered whether the Russian’s conspicuous absence from Mueller’s indictments might be related to his FBI work. They aren’t the only ones. Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz told me he believes Mueller has a conflict of interest because his FBI previously accepted financial help from a Russian that is, at the very least, a witness in the current probe. “The real question becomes whether it was proper to leave [Deripaska] out of the Manafort indictment, and whether that omission was to avoid the kind of transparency that is really required by the law,” Dershowitz said. Melanie Sloan, a former Clinton Justice Department lawyer and longtime ethics watchdog, told me a “far more significant issue” is whether the earlier FBI operation was even legal: “It’s possible the bureau’s arrangement with Mr. Deripaska violated the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits the government from accepting voluntary services.” George Washington University constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley agreed: “If the operation with Deripaska contravened federal law, this figure could be viewed as a potential embarrassment for Mueller. The question is whether he could implicate Mueller in an impropriety.” Now that sources have unmasked the Deripaska story, time will tell whether the courts, Justice, Congress or a defendant formally questions if Mueller is conflicted. http://thehill.com/opinion/white-ho...t-and-it-leads-directly-to-a-russian-oligarch
etoa, Yes, prayers for the First Lady's quick recovery. I felt there must have been another reason for President Trump to not have gone to Jerusalem for the opening ceremony of the US embassy, this makes sense. **** I just saw the following story, some here may have seen it already but here it is just in case you may have missed it, Vet Wounded by Iranian IED Salutes Trump for Pulling Out of Iran Deal As seen on The Story with Martha MacCallum by Fox News Insider May 8th, 2018 http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/05/08/wounded-veteran-salutes-trump-ending-iran-nuclear-deal Retired Delta Force General: Trump Ditching Iran Deal a 'Sterling Example of Int'l Leadership' 'So Misguided': Obama Criticizes Trump Decision to Exit Iran Nuclear Deal An Army veteran who was seriously wounded by a roadside bomb manufactured by Iranians saluted President Donald Trump for deciding to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. Retired Staff Sgt. Robert Bartlett was wounded in 2005, and said his truck commander, William Brooks, was killed in the incident. "I was cut in half [from] temple to jaw," Bartlett said, recalling the attack on his Humvee. "Thirteen years ago last Thursday we got blown up." View attachment 7883 Bartlett physically saluted Trump and said "thank you Mr. President, I really appreciate it." Bartlett ripped the Obama administration for flying billions of dollars in cash to Iran. "[Iran] began spreading more terror," Bartlett said of the aftermath of the payment and the signing of the deal. Bartlett said he has no regard for what Obama's diplomatic intentions might be. "Diplomats got killed under his office," he said, mentioning murdered Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens. He called the Iranian regime "terrorists" and said that even after the Iran deal was signed, Tehran was still "spreading terrorism." Trump Announces Exit From Iran Deal: 'America Will Not Be Held Hostage to Nuclear Blackmail' Gutfeld on Trump's Iran Decision: Kerry's Legacy 'Unraveling Faster Than a Mummy on a Merry-Go-Round'
President Donald Trump to Keynote Pro-Life Gala ....“President Donald Trump is governing as the most pro-life president in our nation’s history and Susan B. Anthony List is honored to receive him at our annual Campaign for Life Gala,” SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, who also served as national campaign chair for the Trump campaign’s pro-life coalition, said in a statement. “President Trump has diligently and successfully gone about fulfilling his promises to the pro-life voters who worked so hard to elect him, and it has been a privilege to stand with him to defend the innocent unborn.” .... While campaigning in 2016, Trump made four promises to the pro-life base of his party: Nominating pro-life justices to the US Supreme Court; Defunding Planned Parenthood as long as they continue to perform abortions and reallocating their funding to community health centers that provide comprehensive health care for women; Making the Hyde Amendment permanent law to protect taxpayers from having to pay for abortions; and Signing into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would end painful late-term abortions nationwide. http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/14/president-donald-trump-keynote-pro-life-gala/ Now if he would only get a congress that would cooperate.
Just keeps coming: Developing… FBI Chief Wray REFUSED to Answer if Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska Was Involved in Russia Dossier (VIDEO) Keep your eye on Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska… In 2009, according to The Hill, when Mueller ran the FBI, the bureau asked Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska to spend millions of his own dollars funding an FBI-supervised operation to rescue a retired FBI agent, Robert Levinson, who is a captive of the Iranian regime for ten years now. In 2017 Mueller tied the same Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska to Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort for previous work they did together. Robert Mueller never mentioned in his Special Counsel findings that he had worked with Deripaska in the past. Monday night on Hannity Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) reminded Sean that FBI Director Chris Wray would not tell Congress if Derispaska was involved with the Russian dossier. Here is that exchange between Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) asking Christopher Wray about Deripaska: ..... Tonight Rep. Gaetz reminded Sean Hannity of the exchange back in February 2018. ......... ** The Hill reporter John Solomon then told Sean Hannity that a report is coming out on Tuesday morning regarding Deripaska and the Russian Dossier. http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...ripaska-was-involved-in-russia-dossier-video/
More today on FBI's own collusion with Russia for deep state's purposes....after promised last night by the great investigative journalist, John Solomon, who's been doing great work on this: JOHN SOLOMON BOMBSHELL: Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska Visited by Three FBI Agents Pitching ‘Trump-Russia Collusion’ Weeks Before 2016 Election Keep your eye on Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska… .....In 2017 Mueller tied the same Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska to Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort for previous work they did together. Robert Mueller never mentioned in his Special Counsel findings that he had worked with Deripaska in the past. Then John Solomon dropped another bombshell while speaking with Fox News host Laura Ingraham Monday night… FBI agents knocked on Oleg Deripaska’s door just weeks before the 2016 election to pitch the ‘Trump-Russia collusion’ narrative to him and he wasn’t buying it! “Two months before the election he’s [Deripaska] asleep in his apartment in New York and he gets a knock on the door by some of the same FBI agents who worked with him on the earlier operation and they said, ‘we think Trump’s campaign and Russia are colluding on the election’ and he let out a big laugh,” John Solomon said to Laura Ingraham. That’s right–the same FBI agents who brought Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska to the US pitched him on the idea that Trump colluded with the Russians. John Solomon further explains that Oleg Deripaska and Paul Manafort previously had a falling out therefore became enemies. Deripaska hates Paul Manafort and he still told FBI agents their Russian collusion theory is “preposterous.” This happened two months before the election and before the FISA application on Carter Page, John Solomon points out. Paul Manafort was previously questioned by officials in the Cayman Islands about his ties to billionaire Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a Russian aluminum magnate. Manafort was questioned by officials from the Cayman Islands in connection with a $26.2 million investment by Deripaska. Mueller, however, kept any mention of Oleg Deripaska OUT of Manafort’s indictment leading to another problem of transparency. Dirty cop Mueller may have also broken the law by allowing his FBI to carry out this secret mission back in 2009. Deripaska also volunteered to testify and did not ask for immunity, reports Laura Ingraham. Obama’s corrupt FBI was literally selling the Trump-Russia collusion to a Russian. Perhaps the FBI needed to bolster their sources before they took the phony dossier to the FISA court? Rosenstein and Mueller need to be fired and investigated for their attempt to overthrow a duly elected president. http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...-russia-collusion-weeks-before-2016-election/
Finally....at least a portion of that long awaited IG report: Report on DOJ’s Handling of Clinton Email Probe Nears Release Subjects of report have been notified they can review the document and comment on any criticisms Multiple subjects of a report on the Justice Department’s handling of a 2016 investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email use have been notified that they can privately review the report by week’s end, signaling t he long-awaited document is nearing release. The report is likely to reignite the volatile debate over the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s handling of the Clinton probe, and it will put Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department’s inspector general, in a familiar place—taking aim at members of the law enforcement community. Those invited to review the report were told they would have to sign nondisclosure agreements in order to read it, people familiar with the matter said. They are expected to have a few days to craft a response to any criticism in the report, which will then be incorporated in the final version to be released in coming weeks. Mr. Horowitz told lawmakers last month he expected to issue the report in May, but Tuesday’s notification is the first indication that Mr. Horowitz has largely completed his inquiry. Congressional committees are expected to review the report in coming weeks. MORE: https://www.wsj.com/articles/report...ng-of-probe-into-clinton-email-use-1526495401
Giuliani: Mueller's team told Trump's lawyers they can't indict a president "All they get to do is write a report," Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told CNN. "They can't indict. At least they acknowledged that to us after some battling, they acknowledged that to us." https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/16/politics/rudy-giuliani-robert-mueller-indictment/index.html So it would seem that the purpose was to hope for a Dem controlled congress and just offer them something, anything in a "report" to use for an impeachment...since they would turn anything into a crime...as they've tried to do all these years.
Precisely, the Dems said as much regarding mid terms and impeachment. If the primaries are any indication from Tuesday they better come up with another plan!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...-codename-for-trump-russia-investigation.html Now, is it just me or is it rather ironic that Trump ends all his rallies with another famous RS song; You can't always get what you want.
I'm a pretty patriotic guy, I come from a family where almost every man has served his country all the way back to the Revolutionary war in some form or another so I really like video's like this. They stir in one a sense of something bigger than oneself and a desire to sacrifice oneself for the good of those we love. Until the day comes that this nation formally recognizes the Divine Kingship of Christ above all other religions and aligns itself to it, our nation and society will never reach the pinnacle of what this nation could become. The same speech in a different video
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcar...o-cut-planned-parenthood-funding-through-regs Trump expected to cut Planned Parenthood funding through regs BY JESSIE HELLMANN - 05/16/18 06:00 AM EDT 3,273 6,103 The Trump administration may take action to cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood as a result of pressure from congressional Republicans and anti-abortion lobbyists. Opponents of abortion have launched an all-out campaign urging the administration to bring back Reagan-era abortion restrictions on federal family planning dollars that would target Planned Parenthood. The regulations would ban organizations that receive family planning dollars under the Title X Family Planning Program, which funds organizations providing services like birth control to low-income women and men, from promoting abortion or referring patients for abortions. Former President Reagan first issued the regulations, which Democrats describe as a “domestic gag rule,” in 1988. They also require a physical and financial separation of Title X funding recipients from abortion providers. Republicans see the action as a way to motivate the GOP base ahead of the midterm elections, where the party’s majorities in the House and Senate are in play. “The life issue is a huge motivator for the right. Getting a win on the pro-life side, even if it’s regulatory rather than legislative, would be huge, and encourage people to come out and vote for the members who pushed for action on this,” said Kelly Marcum, a legislative assistant for the conservative Family Research Council, which has been pushing for the changes. Due to a lengthy legal battle, the regulations were never fully implemented but were upheld by the Supreme Court after Reagan left office. But with a Republican president who has promised to defund Planned Parenthood, now is the perfect time to restore the regulations, abortion opponents say. Their hope is that the restrictions will dissuade Planned Parenthood clinics from participating in Title X. Some clinics could also become ineligible if their family planning services are offered in the same location as abortion services. “It’s a way to wiggle away at Planned Parenthood federal funding, and a way to reinforce the idea that abortion is not family planning,” Marcum said. While federal law prohibits the use of federal funding for abortions in most cases, abortion opponents and Republicans have long argued money that goes to Planned Parenthood still indirectly supports the procedure. Anti-abortion advocates have been frustrated over the GOP Congress’s failure to defund Planned Parenthood. The GOP’s slim majority in the Senate has been the obstacle. Frustration swelled when Congress passed a spending bill earlier this year that excluded a measure defunding Planned Parenthood, a result negotiated between Democrats and Republicans to avoid a government shutdown. This month, 85 groups opposed to abortion, including the Family Research Council, signed on to a letter urging Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to restore the Reagan-era regulations. Forty-three Senate Republicans and 153 House Republicans also sent letters to Azar pushing for the changes. Lobbyists have said the administration seems receptive to their calls. “They seem very open to it,” said Tom McClusky, vice president of government affairs at March for Life. “It was part of the discussions during the transition, and I think it really is just a matter of timing.” Trump has already taken a number of actions pushed by anti-abortion advocates. Trump has reinstated the so-called Mexico City policy, which bans the use of taxpayer dollars for foreign nongovernmental organizations that provide or promote abortions; rescinded Obama-era guidance that sought to protect Planned Parenthood from state-led defunding efforts; and broadened exemptions for employers that have moral or religious objections to providing contraception to their employees. Anti-abortion advocates also occupy top ranks at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “We’re very optimistic. The administration has said they’re on our side with this, and we’re excited. Hopefully Secretary Azar, who is very pro-life, will act on this soon,” Marcum said. HHS did not respond to a request for comment. Scoring a win before the midterms is crucial, abortion opponents say, so Republicans can build on their majority in the Senate and fully defund Planned Parenthood next year. “We’re pleased with the promises President Trump has upheld, but we also need Congress to stay on top of this,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, a grass-roots organization that mobilizes young people opposed to abortion. The push from abortion opponents has enraged congressional Democrats, who say the changes would restrict access to reproductive health care. “We strongly oppose efforts to undermine the integrity of the Title X program and harm the millions of people who rely on it for care,” 45 Senate Democrats wrote Tuesday in a letter to Azar. “Federal health policy should be evidence-based and produced with the best interests of patients in mind.” TAGS DONALD TRUMP
Following up on Don_D's comment above....just found this: Trump to Cut Planned Parenthood Funding, Administration Will Announce Friday The executive action is based on a 1988 Reagan regulation, but can't eliminate most of Planned Parenthood's federal funding. On Friday, the Trump administration will announce a proposed rule to cut taxpayer funding to abortionists like Planned Parenthood under Title X, a program that provides $260 million annually in federal funding for contraception and other “family planning” initiatives. “The proposal would require a bright line of physical as well as financial separation between Title X programs and any program (or facility) where abortion is performed, supported, or referred for as a method of family planning,” a Trump administration official tells THE WEEKLY STANDARD in an email. The 1970 law establishing Title X states: “None of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.” But in the 1970s and 1980s, the law was interpreted to allow Title X programs to refer patients for abortions, be co-located with abortion clinics, and lobby for pro-abortion policies—so long as federal dollars did not directly fund abortions. In 1988, President Reagan's secretary of Health and Human Services issued regulations to end these practices that blurred the line between funding contraception and promoting abortion. The 1988 Reagan regulation was immediately challenged in court and never enforced, but it was upheld by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision in the case Rust v. Sullivan. By the time abortionists might have actually lost their Title X funds, however, Bill Clinton took office and killed the Reagan regulation, a policy that has remained in effect to this day. This anti-abortion regulation wasn’t reinstated by the George W. Bush administration. “Unlike the Reagan regulation, the proposal will not prohibit counseling for clients about abortion, but neither will it include the current, potentially illegal mandate that projects must counsel and refer for abortion,” a Trump administration official tells TWS. “This proposal does not necessarily defund Planned Parenthood, as long as they’re willing to disentangle taxpayer funds from abortion as a method of family planning, which is required by the Title X law. Any grantees that perform, support, or refer for abortion have a choice – disentangle themselves from abortion or fund their activities with privately raised funds.” If and when Title X prohibits funding for abortionists, Planned Parenthood would still keep the overwhelming majority of its funding, which is mostly provided under Medicaid and may only be cut off through legislation signed into law by the president. Efforts to defund Planned Parenthood gained momentum in Congress in 2015 after undercover videos revealed that Planned Parenthood had been selling the body parts of aborted human beings to for-profit biotech companies. But defunding efforts largely failed in 2017 for several reasons. A few senators who supported defunding Planned Parenthood in 2015--Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Joe Donnelly of Indiana--opposed defunding in 2017, leaving the Senate divided 50-50 on the issue. In March 2017, Vice President Mike Pence cast a tie-breaking vote to allow states to defund Planned Parenthood. Language cutting off federal funding to Planned Parenthood was included in every serious bill considered in 2017 to partially repeal Obamacare, including the one that passed the House and the “skinny repeal” bill that failed by one vote in the Senate. After Obamacare repeal efforts failed in 2017, congressional Republicans did not heed calls to make a last-ditch effort to use their reconciliation bill (the process by which the Senate can annually pass substantive legislation that cannot be filibustered) to defund Planned Parenthood as a standalone measure. Congressional Republicans then decided not to include Planned Parenthood language in their subsequent reconciliation bill to pass tax reform out of fear that it would cost them the necessary votes of Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. House speaker Paul Ryan privately assured pro-life groups at the time that language defunding Planned Parenthood would be included in this year's reconciliation bill, but any remaining hope that this Congress would defund Planned Parenthood was very likely scuttled on December 12, when Alabama Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in the special election to fill Jeff Sessions's Senate seat, leaving a majority of the Senate opposed to defunding Planned Parenthood. https://www.weeklystandard.com/john...d-funding-administration-will-announce-friday
