Attorney General Gentner Drummond has requested the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision by an appellate court that upheld the Biden Administration's suspension of a longstanding family planning grant for Oklahoma. This development follows the state's refusal to provide abortion referrals under Title X, despite Title X funds being prohibited from use for abortion.
The Biden-Harris Administration redirected the grant funds to pro-abortion groups, leading to Oklahoma's challenge. In July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled in favor of the administration, stating that federal law does not obligate awarding grants to state health departments that do not offer abortion referrals.
Drummond argues in his petition for certiorari that the federal government's stance is "remarkably wrong" and shifts legislative power improperly to the executive branch. He highlights past Supreme Court decisions protecting conscientious objectors from federal overreach and urges similar action in this case.
He expressed concern about the impact on Oklahomans who rely on services such as cancer screenings and pregnancy prevention, stating: “Oklahomans have depended upon these services for decades.” Drummond contends that federal law clearly prohibits using Title X funds for abortion and that state policies should not affect access to healthcare.
Drummond seeks Supreme Court intervention based on two main points: non-compliance with Supreme Court precedents by the Tenth Circuit and violation of the Weldon Amendment, which bars discrimination against states refusing abortion referrals.