A U.S. appeals court has declined once again to immediately halt new Trump administration rules that bar taxpayer-funded clinics from referring patients for abortions.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals late Friday rejected a request from more than 20 states, Planned Parenthood and the American Medical Association to block the rules from taking effect while the case proceeds.
A three-judge panel and an 11-judge panel have already said the rules can take effect while the administration appeals lower court rulings that blocked them. Oral arguments are next month.
Planned Parenthood has said it will leave the federal Title X program by Monday if the rules aren’t blocked.
About 4 million women are served nationwide under the program, which is designed to improve access to family planning for low-income women.
