Politics & Government

Trump Administration Asked Planned Parenthood To Stop Abortions: Report

The New York Times said the White House is looking for a way to preserve the nonprofit's federal funding.

The White House informally asked Planned Parenthood if it would discontinue providing abortion services in exchange for keeping its federal funding, according to a report from the New York Times.

“Let’s be clear, federal funds already do not pay for abortions,” said Dawn Laguens, the executive vice president of the organization. "Offering money to Planned Parenthood to abandon our patients and our values is not a deal that we will ever accept."

In a statement to the Times, President Trump reportedly confirmed that the discussion took place. "There is an opportunity for organizations to continue the important work they do in support of women’s health, while not providing abortion services," he told the paper. Ever since the campaign, Trump has tried to walk a fine line of strongly endorsing women's health initiatives while also adhering to the strict anti-abortion ideology embraced by the Republican party.

Find out what's happening in White Housefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Read the full story at the New York Times>>

Photo credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Find out what's happening in White Housefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from White House