"The Trump administration's "gag rule" about abortion and reproductive health services is in effect, barring family planning providers using federal funds (known as "Title X" funds) from offering patients information about birth control, abortion or even referring them to other health care programs that provide abortion.

I and my colleagues worked with the Governor to authorize $16 million in the budget to protect family planning providers in the event this occurred. Trump's war on women is not new - we all saw this coming. But now, with press reports of providers facing layoffs, the money has still not gone out.

I wrote the Health Department and Division of Budget on July 2 and again on July 25. My colleagues in the Legislature and I are hearing from providers worried about making payroll. We need answers, and more importantly we need the Executive to get the money out the door.

New York is a pro-choice state and the Governor needs to step up and keep this commitment. Now."