FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The Department of Health and Human Services is officially moving to roll back a Biden-era policy of taxpayer-funded abortion travel for unaccompanied illegal alien children in the U.S., The Daily Signal can first report.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement, within the HHS Administration of Children and Families division, is making regulatory changes “to address how abortion services are facilitated or funded” for illegal unaccompanied minors in federal custody, an HHS official told The Daily Signal.

The changes “could eventually limit federal involvement in abortion for minors in government custody, particularly vulnerable children under federal care,” the official said.

The news comes on the morning of the 53rd annual March for Life, a national gathering of pro-lifers in Washington, D.C. to advocate for the right to life for the unborn.

On Nov. 10, 2022, the Biden administration originally proposed the “Unaccompanied Children Program Foundational Rule,” requiring the Office of Refugee Resettlement to “ensure unaccompanied children have access to medical care, including transportation across state lines” for procedures including “family planning services, and medical services requiring heightened ORR involvement.”

Under that rule, the office allowed for minors in federal custody to have abortions, including out-of-state travel for abortions from states with abortion restrictions. 

A senior ORR official told The Daily Signal in an interview that the new rule will bring HHS policy in alignment with the Hyde Amendment, a longstanding federal policy prohibiting taxpayer-funded abortions in health care appropriations. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last January to implement that policy across federal agencies.

“HHS remains committed to protecting unborn life and ensuring taxpayer funds are used ethically and lawfully,” the official said. “Today’s actions strengthen protections for healthcare providers, align department policies with federal law, and ensure federally funded research reflects ethical limits established by Congress.”

The administration told The Daily Signal in October that it had planned to alter the rule to comply with the Hyde Amendment.

Trump’s Office of Refugee Resettlement has submitted its changes to the Office of Management and Budget’s Regulatory Information Service Center. The official hopes that the revisions will move through the office and advance in the rule making process within the next few weeks.

HHS aims for the rule to last beyond the Trump administration.

“This measure closes the funding loopholes that were introduced under the Biden administration,” the official said. “We’re not going to use any taxpayer dollars directly or indirectly for abortion services, except where it’s expressly authorized by law.”

“Our goal is to save lives both for these young children that are coming across the border, that are pregnant,” the official said, “and to save the lives of their unborn babies.”

While the official expects “legal maneuvering” from the Left, HHS is “prepared to fight that if it happens.”

“The president has committed to protecting unborn children,” the senior official said, “and the agencies have followed through with mplementing the president’s executive order.”

“We are going to continue to protect life, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” the official continued, “and we’re happy that this is coming out before the March of Life. We’re happy that we are protecting these onboarding children and allowing them to come into the world.”

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