United States District Judge Paul Engelmayer from the Southern District of New York has shot down a rule put into effect by the Trump administration that would have exempted health care workers from having to perform or assist in abortions against their will.
Citing it as "unconstitutional," Judge Engelmayer decided that rule, which was to be implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), cannot be enforced because it "attaches retroactive and ambiguous conditions" to the "receipt of federal funds" as given to state and local municipalities.
Some 23 states and local communities sued the Trump administration for trying to exempt some workers from "having to provide, participate in, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for, services such as abortion, sterilization, or assisted suicide" because they feel that it's "impermissibly coercive" towards state and local governments, which would have to enforce it in order to receive federal funds.
While admitting that the "Conscience Provisions" of federal law "recognize and protect undeniably important rights," Judge Engelmayer said his decision was made mostly on technical grounds. The Trump rule, he decided, was "shot through with glaring legal defects."
Even so, HHS will now be "at liberty to consider and promulgate rules governing these [Conscience Provisions]," which have already been enshrined at the federal level to protect health care workers against having to perform or participate in procedures that violate their beliefs and consciences.
Though the Trump administration has yet to respond to the ruling, it is expected to appeal the decision in accordance with Trump's personal promise to uphold religious liberty in America and make it one of his top priorities.
As you may have seen, Trump recently appointed Roger Severino as Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights. Trump has also appointed Vice President Mike Pence to a top position within this same division, while also lifting a conscience-violating mandate that was enacted by former President Barack Obama.
If you don't agree with leftists, they'll attack you until you're destroyed
Trump has further created a new office within the White House that is to be tasked with protecting religious freedom throughout America, as well as with monitoring any potential threats that might arise – and man, are they arisin'!
Just the other day, as one example, The Daily Beast put out a piece (which we won't link to) declaring its position that "religious freedom" is just code for "poisonous, anti-LGBTQ bigotry." This fake news outlet contends that any opposition of opinion to the LGBTQ agenda represents "hate."
The Daily Beast, like many other fake news media outlets, is upset that along with this attempted conscience ruling for health care works, the Trump administration is also trying to implement conscience clauses for taxpayer-funded foster care and adoption groups who prefer not to hand children over to LGBTQs.
There are also accusations being flung around that accuse the Trump administration of engaging in "cruel and unlawful" behavior simply by trying to protect Christian practitioners, as one example, against having to murder unborn human life.
We heard the same types of nonsense during the "gay cake" saga in Colorado, where LGBTQs tried to force a Christian cake baker to make pastries for homosexual weddings. It was a case that ultimately led to a major victory for religious freedom, but not without a vicious fight.
"This has to be the first time any strings attached to federal money were ruled unconstitutional," pointed out one LifeSiteNews commenter about the ruling against Trump's HHS. "Since states are not required to take the money, they can avoid the strings by not taking it. I doubt this ruling will survive."
For more related news on the extremism and bigotry of the medical establishment, read MedicalExtremism.com.
Sources for this article include:
Please contact us for more information.