--- title: Donald Trump Ends Obama-Era Planned Parenthood Protections description: U.S. health officials said they were revoking Obama Era legal guidance discouraging states from defunding organizations Planned Parenthood. canonical: https://time.com/5110480/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-protections/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-19T20:06:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:46:53.409Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Trump Revokes Obama-Era Planned Parenthood Protections og:description: They sought to discourage states from trying to defund organizations that provide abortion services og:url: https://time.com/5110480/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-protections/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f65e79cd10a1168/6988f8c1e76ad28341630ad8/rtx4dfru.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: U.S. President Donald Trump pauses during an interview with Reuters in Washington og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Trump Revokes Obama-Era Planned Parenthood Protections twitter:description: They sought to discourage states from trying to defund organizations that provide abortion services twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f65e79cd10a1168/6988f8c1e76ad28341630ad8/rtx4dfru.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump Revokes Obama-Era Planned Parenthood Protections > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=e70db9e5-77f1-4855-9e5b-636e658d2309&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=e70db9e5-77f1-4855-9e5b-636e658d2309&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=e70db9e5-77f1-4855-9e5b-636e658d2309&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=e70db9e5-77f1-4855-9e5b-636e658d2309&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Trump Administration Protects Medical Offices Opposing Abortion [Watch (HLS stream): Trump Administration Protects Medical Offices Opposing Abortion](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wgIp0ShR.m3u8) (0:54)  _Published 2018-01-19. U.S. health officials on Friday said they were revoking legal guidance issued by the Obama Administration that had sought to discourage states from trying to defund organizations that provide abortion services, such as Planned Parenthood._ by [Yasmeen Abutaleb & Caroline Humer / Reuters](https://time.com/author/reuters/) ## Yasmeen Abutaleb & Caroline Humer / Reuters Jan 19, 2018 8:06 PM UTC by [Yasmeen Abutaleb & Caroline Humer / Reuters](https://time.com/author/reuters/) ## Yasmeen Abutaleb & Caroline Humer / Reuters Jan 19, 2018 8:06 PM UTC (WASHINGTON/NEW YORK) – U.S. health officials on Friday said they were revoking legal guidance issued by the Obama Administration that had sought to discourage states from trying to defund organizations that provide abortion services, such as Planned Parenthood. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials also said the department is issuing a new regulation aimed at protecting healthcare workers’ civil rights based on religious and conscience objections. The regulation protects the rights of healthcare workers from providing abortion, euthanasia, and sterilization, the officials said during a media call with reporters. On Thursday, HHS said it was creating a new division that would focus on conscience and religious objections, a move it said was necessary after years of the federal government forcing healthcare workers to provide such services. HHS will issue a letter on Friday to state Medicaid offices that will rescind the Obama Administration’s 2016 guidance, which was issued after states including Indiana had tried to defund abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. The guidance “restricted states’ ability to take certain actions against family-planning providers that offer abortion services,” HHS said in a statement. The Medicaid program, jointly funded by states and the federal government, provides healthcare services to the poor and disabled. Federal law prohibits Medicaid or any other federal funding for abortion services. Dawn Laguens, executive vice president for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the move encourages states to try to block access to care at Planned Parenthood. “The law is clear, it is illegal to bar women from seeking care at Planned Parenthood. Longstanding protections within Medicaid safeguard every person’s right to access care at their qualified provider of choice,” Laguens said in a statement. NEW RULE The rule will enforce existing statutes that guarantee these civil rights. Roger Severino, the director of the Office of Civil Rights at HHS, said the office had received 34 complaints since President Donald Trump took office last January. When asked by reporters if the rule would allow providers to deny care to transgender individuals based on religious objections, Severino said the rule refers to statutes that are based on providing procedures. Experts on Thursday said the move to protect workers on religious grounds raised the possibility it could provide legal cover for otherwise unlawful discrimination, and encourage a broader range of religious objections. ## Transcript The federal government and state governments have hounded religious hospitals and the men and women who staff them. Forcing them to provide or refer for services that violate their consciousness when they only wish to serve according to their religious beliefs. But the risks to Americans of faith Go beyond just those healthcare providers. Some state and federal regulations, for instance, have caused Americans to lose access to health insurance coverage that comports with their religious beliefs. Medical students, too, can have their beliefs threatened through being compelled or pressured to participate in or learn how to do procedures that violate their consciences. The good news is that we do already have strong laws intended to protect Americans of faith from these harms. And now they will be vigorously enforced by OCR and in particular by the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division. [ APPLAUSE ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5110480/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-protections/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5110480/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-protections/"},"headline":"President Trump Revokes Obama-Era Planned Parenthood Protections","datePublished":"2018-01-19T20:06:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-12T08:46:53.409Z","description":"They sought to discourage states from trying to defund organizations that provide abortion services","url":"https://time.com/5110480/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-protections/","keywords":["Donald Trump","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f65e79cd10a1168/6988f8c1e76ad28341630ad8/rtx4dfru.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Yasmeen Abutaleb & Caroline Humer / Reuters"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f65e79cd10a1168/6988f8c1e76ad28341630ad8/rtx4dfru.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"U.S. President Donald Trump pauses during an interview with Reuters in Washington","caption":"U.S. President Donald Trump pauses during an interview with Reuters in Washington","creditText":"Kevin Lamarque—REUTERS","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5110480/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-protections/","name":"President Trump Revokes Obama-Era Planned Parenthood Protections"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Trump Administration Protects Medical Offices Opposing Abortion","description":"U.S. health officials on Friday said they were revoking legal guidance issued by the Obama Administration that had sought to discourage states from trying to defund organizations that provide abortion services, such as Planned Parenthood.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/wgIp0ShR/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-01-19T20:40:34.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/wgIp0ShR.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5110480/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-protections/","duration":"PT54S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5110480/donald-trump-planned-parenthood-protections/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```