With its policy that forces even Christians to fund abortions President Donald Trump will withhold $200 million in Medicaid funds from the state of California.
In a report by Life News, California essentially forces Christians and even churches to fund abortions with their requirement in private health insurance plans. In the state, private health care plans should pay for abortion regardless if the one paying it is pro-life or if abortion is contrary to what their faith dictates.
For years, churches in California have been fighting against abortion without any reprieve.
The problem all started under former President Obama's Affordable Care Act when the California Department of Managed Health Care reclassified abortion as a basic health service in all insurance plans.
Since then, Californian churches have long filed a lawsuit to contest the healthcare mandate.
Jeremiah Galus, who represents the churches through Alliance Defending Freedom, says the state's abortion mandate violates their religious freedoms.
"If the state can force a church to pay for the very thing they counsel against, in violation of their constitutionally protected religious beliefs, then no American is secure," he said.
The US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Trump's decision that will start in the new fiscal quarter of January next year in 2021.
Fortunately, the Trump administration is taking the necessary action to overturn the amendment which violates the Weldon Amendment, a federal anti-discrimination law that protects conscience rights and prohibits state to compel healthcare plans to fund abortions.
Since healthcare plans use federal funding, President Donald Trump promises to cut off a substantial amount from the state's healthcare funds if it will not comply with the changes.
Azar adds that California violated federal conscience laws and has refused to take the necessary action to "correct" their earlier healthcare policies.
"So we are now taking action to hold them into account," Azar adds.
Roger Severino, Director at the Office for Civil Rights in the same department as Azar said that California can provide abortion services if it wants to.
"What the state is not free to do is force people to pay for other people's abortions."
It was not the first time that California was warned of losing federal funding.
In January of this year, the Trump administration already asked the state to stop requiring healthcare insurance to provide abortion coverage and was given 30 days to repeal their mandate. The year is almost to a close and still, California stands by its decision to include federal funded abortions to be included in all healthcare insurance plans.
Despite that, the Christian Medical Association has spoken its appreciation of President Trump's move to repeal California's healthcare requirement.
"The HHS action against the state of California sends a strong message that no state, no matter how large and no matter how radical the abortion views of its leaders, can unilaterally nullify federal conscience protections," Jonathan Imbody, CMA Director of Federal Government Relations shared in a statement.
He also made mention of the fact that even Catholic nuns are encouraged to participate in abortion with using their healthcare plans.
"For some reason, the abortion industry and its politician allies seem fixated on forcing Catholic nuns to participate in abortion through insurance coverage... This radical trampling of conscience is contrary to our most fundamental, constitutional freedoms of thought, speech and exercise of faith."
Carol Tobias, president of the pro-life group National Right to Life praised the President and his administration.
"We thank the Trump Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services for protecting the rights of Californians who do not want to pay for or participate in health care plans that pay for abortions."
