State Legislators From Across Country Urge End to Federal Funds for Planned Parenthood

More than 180 pro-life state legislators from 49 states have sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to end Planned Parenthood’s receipt of federal funds.

The letter comes as Congress is considering restricting, through the budget reconciliation process, federal dollars from going to the nation’s largest abortion provider.

“We’re absolutely making it clear to everybody that this bill is going to redirect funds away from Big Abortion and to federally qualified health centers,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a recent pro-life gala.

The state lawmakers’ letter was addressed to Johnson; Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.; Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; and Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. 

The letter, with signatories from every state except Texas, urges the congressional Republican leadership to “include language in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Finance Committee budget reconciliation bills to defund these bad actors.” 

On Sunday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released the text of its part in the Republicans’ proposed budget agenda that would prohibit federal funds “that are considered direct spending and provided to carry out a … plan under Title XIX [Medicaid] of the Social Security Act” to any organization that provides for abortions other than ones that result from rape, incest, or threaten the life of the mother.

Such legislative language has a long way to go before it could be enshrined in law. Markups on the proposed bill are set to begin on Tuesday. Planned Parenthood has a political lobbying arm that has primaried pro-life Democrats such as former Rep. Dan Lipinski, R-Ill. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund spent nearly $70 million during the 2024 election cycle. 

“With over 1 million abortions in our country over the last year, the American taxpayer is subsidizing the leading cause of death,” Florida state Rep. Jennifer Canady said in a statement. 

“Who would those precious children have grown up to be? How many teachers, medical professionals, entrepreneurs, and public servants have we lost? How many of us have been robbed of someone who would have been a friend, spouse, or close member of our family? We have a Republican trifecta in Washington, and now is the time to defund Big Abortion,” Canady wrote.

Planned Parenthood was responsible for performing more than 392,000 abortions from 2021 to 2022. The abortion provider received nearly $700 million in both 2023 and 2024. That’s the equivalent of about $2 million per day. In total, federal funding made up 34% of the organization’s overall revenue in 2023.

“Many of our states have already acted to stop state Medicaid dollars from going to Big Abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood. It is time for Congress to stop federal Medicaid dollars from going to Big Abortion,” the state lawmakers’ letter states. 

“[S]ome Republicans in Congress are pushing to “defund” Planned Parenthood through Medicaid. If these ‘defund’ efforts are successful, patients who rely on Medicaid will suffer—they would be blocked from getting care at their trusted Planned Parenthood provider,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement.

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