Theodore's World

From Marine One with President Trump……Central Park, NYC

President Donald Trump Defunds Planned Parenthood, Will Cut Almost $60 Million in Taxpayer Funding
Life News
The Trump administration is announcing new regulations today to partially defund Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses of tens of millions of tax dollars. This is the second time Trump has taken steps to revoke taxpayer funding for the nation’s biggest abortion business — after yanking taxpayer from from International Planned Parenthood during his first week in office.
The United States spends about $260 million in Title X funds annually for family planning for low-income individuals, and Planned Parenthood is a huge recipient of those funds, as much as $50-$60 million annually.
But under the proposed “Protect Life Rule,” Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses would not receive any of those tax dollars unless they completely separate their abortion business from their taxpayer-funded services, The Washington Examiner reports. That would mean housing their family planning services elsewhere — potentially in separate buildings and coordinated by separate staff and organizations from its abortion enterprise.

“This proposal does not necessarily defund Planned Parenthood, as long as they’re willing to disentangle taxpayer funds from abortion as a method of family planning, which is required by the Title X law,” a Trump administration official said. “Any grantees that perform, support, or refer for abortion have a choice – disentangle themselves from abortion or fund their activities with privately raised funds.”

Of course, Planned Parenthood is unwilling to do so. Abortion is its primary focus, and it already is threatening a lawsuit to stop the defunding. However, the proposal is modeled after similar Reagan administration rules that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in Rust v. Sullivan in 1991.
Planned Parenthood Vice President Dawn Laguens quickly slammed the proposal with an absurd claim that her abortion chain is the only place women can go for basic health care.
“This is an attempt to take away women’s basic rights, period,” Laguens said. “Under this rule, people will not get the healthcare they need. They won’t get birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing, and treatment, or even general women’s health exams.”
SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser refuted this by pointing to the growing number of community and rural health centers that far outnumber Planned Parenthood facilities.

“We thank President Trump for taking action to disentangle taxpayers from the abortion business,” Dannenfelser said. “Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business, is responsible for more than 300,000 abortions a year and has been receiving $50-60 million in Title X taxpayer funds annually. The Protect Life Rule doesn’t cut a single dime from family planning. It instead directs tax dollars to Title X centers that do not promote or perform abortions …”

Here’s more from the Washington Examiner:
The proposal, which is being filed with the Office of Management and Budget, is based off a policy from when Ronald Reagan was president. An administration official denied that the proposal would contain a “gag rule” preventing doctors from counseling women about abortion, as several news reports have stated, though acknowledged that the rule would no longer contain a mandate that clinics must counsel and refer for abortion. …
The Department of Health and Human Services said that the proposal was being filed in order to “ensure compliance” with laws that prohibit federal funds from going toward abortions. The amount the federal government spends on family planning services, including birth control, STD testing, and cancer screenings, will not be cut. The program covers 4 million low-income people.
Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins praised the proposed rules.

“You can really see how insidiously entangled the abortion industry is in our government run healthcare programs when abortion allies in Congress get apoplectic because family planning programs don’t require a sales pitch to end the lives of family members,” Hawkins said. “The Trump Administration has every right to require that Title X programs focus on healthcare, not abortion …”

The proposal comes amid strong pleas from grassroots Americans and members of Congress to defund the abortion giant Planned Parenthood. In April, 154 U.S. House members sent a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar asking for a rule to prohibit tax dollars from being use to promote abortions.
Title X funds are supposed to be used to help low-income women and men receive birth control, cancer screenings and other health care services. While the tax money cannot be used to pay for abortions, it indirectly funds Planned Parenthood’s vast abortion business.
The Trump administration has cut several other streams of funding to Planned Parenthood as well. Soon after Trump took office, he signed the Mexico City Policy to prevent the funding of groups that promote or perform abortions overseas. This includes the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which received tax dollars under the Obama administration.

President Donald J. Trump with U.S. Air Force SSGT Charles Edwards of Mary Esther, FL, and CAPT Mark Kobelja, Director of WRNMMC at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
From President Trump:

It was my great honor to visit with our HEROES last night at Walter Reed Medical Center. There is nobody like them!

Senate Intel Committee endorses CIA Dir. nominee Gina Haspel to get full Senate vote
The Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday recommended Gina Haspel be confirmed as CIA director, and now the full Senate will later vote on her nomination.
President Trump nominated Haspel to the post, and her confirmation process has been under intense scrutiny.
The CIA’s post-9/11 enhanced interrogation program that Haspel was involved with, as well as torture methods and waterboarding, have been contentious topics generally split along party lines. But some Democrats announced their support of Haspel on Tuesday, which indicated she would garner the Senate’s approval and be named CIA director.
The committee on Wednesday voted 10 to 5 to recommend Haspel to the full Senate. Of the 100 U.S. Senators, 51 are Republicans and 49 are Democrats; while two Republicans said they would not vote for Haspel, five Democrats have indicated they would support her nomination.
Haspel spent 33 years in the Central Intelligence Agnency, and if confirmed, she would become the agency’s first female leader.
Haspel, 61, is the acting CIA director, and she has yet to be confirmed by Congress after facing backlash from politicians over her intelligence career.
She ran a black-site prison in Thailand where a high-level terrorist was detained and tortured in 2002.
Mohammed was captured in March 2003 and was kept at CIA prisons in Afghanistan and Poland. He was tortured by the CIA, including being waterboarded.
Haspel has pledged not to implement an interrogation program of that kind again.

“Having served in that tumultuous time, I can offer you my personal commitment, clearly and without reservation, that under my leadership CIA will not restart such a detention and interrogation program,” she said.

Beautiful day at our nation’s Capitol to celebrate some of America’s greatest heroes. Thank you to the great men and women of law enforcement around the country.

Statement from the Communications Director about First Lady Melania Trump
This morning, First Lady Melania Trump underwent an embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition. The procedure was successful and there were no complications. Mrs. Trump is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and will likely remain there for the duration of the week. The First Lady looks forward to a full recovery so she can continue her work on behalf of children everywhere.

Vice President Mike Pence
It was in Jerusalem that King David consecrated the capital of the Kingdom of Israel. Since its rebirth, the modern State of Israel has called Jerusalem the seat of its government. President Trump & the American people acknowledge this historic truth w the opening of the US Embassy.

President Donald J. Trump Keeps His Promise To Open U.S. Embassy In Jerusalem, Israel
FULFILLING A PROMISE: President Trump kept his promise by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and opening the U.S. Embassy there.
On December 6, 2017, President Trump kept his promise, announcing that the United States would begin recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and officially open our Embassy there.
Congress urged the President to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel with the bipartisan 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act – a call unanimously reaffirmed by the Senate in 2017.
After decades of past Presidents committing to move the Embassy to Jerusalem on the campaign trail, only to renege on those promises while in office, President Trump has fulfilled his promise to support one of America’s strongest allies.
More than two decades of waivers delaying the Embassy move brought us no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
President Trump has made clear that old challenges demand new approaches, and that he will keep his word to the American people.
On May 14, 2018, the United States officially opened our Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel, 70 years to the day that President Truman recognized Israel as an independent country, making the United States the first nation to do so.
President Trump has recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and advanced peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Announcing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is simply a recognition of reality.
Israel is a sovereign nation and, like every other sovereign nation, has the right to choose its own capital. Yet for 70 years we neglected to extend this basic courtesy to Israel that we extend to other countries.
Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli Parliament and the Israeli Supreme Court. It is the location of the official residence of the Prime Minister and President, as well as the headquarters of many government ministries.
STRIVING FOR PEACE: The Trump Administration continues to work to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
The Trump Administration remains committed to achieving a lasting and comprehensive peace agreement.
Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a necessary condition for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
President Trump has been clear that his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel does not mean the United States has taken a position on final status negotiations.
The Trump Administration believes that such decisions should be worked between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Trump Administration supports the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites.
FULFILLING PROMISES QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY: After announcing the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, President Trump quickly and efficiently opened the Embassy in Israel at a low cost to taxpayers.
President Trump opened the Embassy in Jerusalem in just six months, compared to the seven to ten years expected to build an entirely new and secure permanent embassy.
Initial modifications allowing the Embassy to open on May 14, 2018, cost just $400,000.
United States diplomatic staff in Israel has worked around the clock to ensure the Embassy was ready to open by May 14, 2018.
The Trump Administration has begun updating all Federal Government maps to reflect Jerusalem’s status as Israel’s capital under American policy.
To celebrate the opening of the United States’ new Embassy in Jerusalem, the Trump Administration sent a high-level delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and including Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt.

Ivanka Trump
‏
May 12
I am honored to join the delegation representing @POTUS, his Admin & the American people at this momentous ceremony commemorating the opening of our new US Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel. We will pray for the boundless potential of the US-Israel alliance & we will pray for peace.

Israel Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz announced Wednesday his plans to name a new train station near the Western Wall after President Donald Trump
“The Kotel [Western Wall] is the holiest place to the Jewish people, and I have decided to name the train station leading to it after US President Donald Trump, in recognition of his brave and historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,” Katz said, according to Ynetnews in Israel, referring to Trump’s recent decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
What’s the story?
If the railway project is approved and built, it would be a two-mile extension of the soon-to-be-opened high-speed railway that runs between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the Jewish Press reported. It would include two underground train stations including the City Center station and the Donald John Trump, Western Wall station near the Cardo in the Old City’s Jewish Quarter.
The high-speed railway project connecting the two cities has faced numerous delays and has been under construction since 2001.
What’s the approval process for the project?
The new project Tuesday received preliminary approval Tuesday, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“This project is now awaiting a discussion in the National Infrastructures Planning Committee,” Transportation Ministry spokesman Avner Ovadia told the Post. “When it is discussed there, it means that it receives priority in its advancement and in carrying out the project.”
It could take up to a year for final approval and at least four or five years to construct, barring any delays, Ovadia said.

The high-speed railway project connecting the two cities has faced numerous delays and has been under construction since 2001.