WASHINGTON (Reuters] – The administration of President Joe Biden plans to reverse a rule established under Donald Trump’s predecessor to help healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses and other professionals avoid abortions. Politico reported that the move was made to ease access for those who are religious or morally inclined.

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), unveiled what they called “conscience rules,” which were not implemented due to litigation. California, New York, and providers of abortion filed suits to contest it. A federal court blocked the measure in 2019.

Federal government could punish clinics, hospitals, universities and any other healthcare provider that did not follow their “conscience”, or refused to perform certain procedures. Trump’s HHS claimed that the rule satisfied his “promise of protecting the fundamental and inalienable rights to conscience and religious freedom.” Trump’s key constituency was religious conservatives.

Politico claimed that HHS may act quickly to repeal the rule, according to sources close to the situation.

HHS didn’t immediately reply to our request for comment.

Some municipalities and states argued the rule would hinder their ability to offer effective healthcare, and make it harder for them to be accommodating workers’ religious beliefs. Critics have also suggested that the rule might deprive transgender, gay and bisexual patients of necessary healthcare, as some providers may consider them less worthy due to their religious beliefs.

Biden (a Democrat) promised to repeal many of the restrictions on reproductive rights that Trump, a Republican, had backed or introduced.

Recent years have seen a number of restrictions on abortion rights in Republican-governed States. In a Mississippi case, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule before June’s end. It gives its conservative majority the chance to repeal its 1973 abortion law.