Pro-lifers to Trump: Now’s the time to defund Planned Parenthood

For pro-life advocates, President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” represents a better-than-ever opportunity to ax taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood.

On Thursday, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, stood on the National Mall amid hundreds of tiny pink crosses planted like Memorial Day flags to represent the victims of abortion. Just a couple of blocks away from the Capitol, she made the case for defunding Planned Parenthood as part of the federal budget reconciliation process. She said now is not the time for the pro-life movement to get subtle.

“The reason we’re lobbying now is we want to make sure that resolve stays there,” Dannenfelser told WORLD. “You go away and you don’t exist. I think that no matter what, especially in reconciliation, where people have different priorities about what they want, there’s always going to be horse trading. There’s always going to be weakness in certain places. That’s why we’re here.”

Reconciliation bills, the budgetary process by which Republicans hope to pass the bulk of Trump’s policy agenda, are not subject to Senate filibuster, which means they can pass with a simple majority—no Democratic votes necessary. Now Republicans in Congress must decide whether they want to go after Planned Parenthood’s federal funding alongside tax and border policy priorities. While there’s strong ideological support for the idea, some members say they aren’t ready to make that decision yet.

Planned Parenthood brought in $699.3 million in Medicaid reimbursements and federal grants between 2022-2023, accounting for 34% of the organization’s overall revenue that year, according to the organization’s annual report. Federal law does not allow taxpayer funds for abortions except in special cases such as rape and incest, but Planned Parenthood bills Medicaid for other functions such as birth control and treatments for sexually transmitted diseases. For Republicans looking to trim costs and reduce the national deficit, cutting funds for the abortion giant could be low-hanging fruit.

Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said Republicans talked about the idea at a weekly conference meeting.

“It came up recently—the number of procedures they do, the amount of money that they spend, and what they spend it on,” McCormick said. “Planned Parenthood is pro-abortion. I’ve never been a big fan. I think it’s on the table just like anything else.”

Defunding Planned Parenthood has support from a number of members of the House Freedom Caucus and its chairman, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.

“There’s no excuse,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a Freedom Caucus member. “This is the perfect time to do it. I think we have enough gas to go forward with it.”

Biggs, who spoke at Thursday’s event with Dannenfelser, said some of his fellow Republicans are reluctant to cut Planned Parenthood funding via budget reconciliation despite a general consensus on the principle of life in the womb.

“They don’t want to touch the issue. They think it’s toxic,” Biggs said. “I’ve talked to some [members] who are a little nervous about it, but they’re nervous solely, I think, from an electoral standpoint as opposed to a policy standpoint.”

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said that concern isn’t a surprise—but also a key reason why Republicans should make use of the moment.

“I think the fact that Republican lawmakers are expressing to their colleagues that they’re afraid of Planned Parenthood attacking them in elections proves my point why Planned Parenthood needs to go fund themselves,” Hawkins said. “If Planned Parenthood is a true nonprofit that’s simply providing healthcare, why are lawmakers afraid of Planned Parenthood, electorally?”

Whether language eliminating Planned Parenthood’s funding ultimately makes it into the reconciliation bill will, in large part, be up to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. It’s unclear how forcefully Johnson would support the idea. When asked about the speaker’s posture, Biggs, the congressman from Arizona, initially deflected.

“Next question,” he said, then added, “He and I have talked about it. His heart is where I am. I’ll just leave it at that.”

Some of the hesitation from Republicans is technical; only certain types of spending changes can be considered under reconciliation. Several Republicans told WORLD they hadn’t given the idea serious thought yet.

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, said he’s focused on his different priorities at the moment.

“I am so dug in on the tax side of [reconciliation]. I am not involved in the Medicaid discussions right now. We’ll get there,” Moore said.

Dannenfelser acknowledged the other issues vying for lawmakers’ attention. In some ways, she said, that plays in favor of the pro-life movement. Eliminating Planned Parenthood’s funding pales in comparison to some of the other sweeping changes Trump has called for.

“Because it’s reconciliation, and there are all these pieces, all these priorities that everybody has, Planned Parenthood is small,” Dannenfelser said. “It’s small, but it’s a priority for the Republican Party. It’s been a priority for this president to defund Planned Parenthood.”

Trump’s reconciliation package is still in its early stages. The House passed its budget framework for the reconciliation bill last month. Leaders in the House and Senate must agree on a final version that sets topline numbers before proceeding to consider the specifics of the bill itself.

Republican leaders have said they hope to finalize the bill as soon as Easter weekend.