Tennessee Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Federal Government Over Abortion Funding Restrictions

Tennessee’s Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, accusing it of withholding millions of dollars in family planning funds. The funds were withheld after Tennessee refused to comply with federal rules requiring clinics to provide abortion referrals. The state has banned abortions, and as a result, the federal government disqualified Tennessee from receiving federal dollars through the Title X program.

The Attorney General, Jonathan Skrmetti, filed the complaint in U.S. District Court in Knoxville to challenge the decision made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Skrmetti stated that the lawsuit is necessary to protect the health of Tennessee women and to ensure that the state can continue providing public health services to those who need them the most.

The program, known as Title X, has been providing funds to Tennessee since 1970. The funds assist around 100 clinics in offering birth control and basic health care services to low-income women, especially those from minority communities. However, the program has become entangled in the abortion access debate. In 2021, the Biden administration reversed a ban on abortion referrals by clinics that receive Title X funds. Under the latest rule, clinics cannot use federal family planning money for abortions, but they must provide information about abortion upon request.

The lawsuit alleges that the U.S. Supreme Court did not inform officials in Tennessee how the 2021 rule would apply in states with abortion restrictions. In March, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing states to impose abortion bans. Tennessee, being a Republican-led state, has an abortion ban in place. As a result, Tennessee was declared out of compliance with Title X by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in March. The federal government later announced that Tennessee’s Title X funds would be directly funded to Planned Parenthood, a leading provider of abortions in the U.S., which would then distribute the funds to its Tennessee clinics.

Tennessee’s Attorney General is seeking to reinstate the state’s Title X funding and requesting clarification on whether state funds are needed to fill in the federal portion. This lawsuit is part of Tennessee’s growing trend of rejecting federal funding to avoid complying with regulations related to LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access, and other sensitive issues.

Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers in Tennessee are also considering cutting off nearly $1.8 billion in federal education dollars, citing the need for more flexibility and avoiding regulations on certain rights and issues.