Court Blocks Trump’s Healthcare “Conscience Rule”

The Washington Post reports:

A federal judge on Wednesday voided the Trump administration’s “conscience rule” that would have allowed health-care providers to refuse to participate in abortions, sterilizations or other types of care they disagree with on religious or moral grounds.

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan declared the so-called “conscience rule” unconstitutional in a 147-page decision stemming from a lawsuit brought by New York and nearly two dozen other mostly Democratic states and municipalities. The rule had been set to go into effect later this month.

While the rule sought to “recognize and protect undeniably important rights,” the judge found the rulemaking process was “shot through with glaring legal defects.” Officials from HHS released a statement saying they were reviewing the decision and would not comment on pending litigation. The DOJ declined to comment.