During his joint address to Congress, President Trump listed off some of the most extreme examples of government waste the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has identified so far: “$22 billion from HHS to provide free housing and cars for illegal aliens,” “$45 million for diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships in Burma,” and “$8 million for making mice transgender” to name a few.
But one line item was missing: $699.3 million to the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.
If we are ever going to stem the tide of abortion in America, we must dry up abortion’s federal funding pipeline. Americans must understand that the longstanding Hyde Amendment, reaffirmed by the Trump administration, prohibits taxpayer-funded abortion. Yet in its last report, Planned Parenthood received nearly $700 million in taxpayer funding annually to help fund its mass murder of the preborn.
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In its 2024 report, Planned Parenthood records 392,715 lives lost to abortion. At the expense of the American taxpayer. This is a travesty.
On top of facilitating the mass murder of the preborn, Planned Parenthood traffics aborted baby body parts, enables sex trafficking, engages in illegal and exploitive practices, provides “gender affirming hormone therapy,” and even recently supported a bill providing condoms for kids as young as preschool-aged in Maryland.
Why should a single dollar go toward a criminal organization established by known eugenicist Margaret Sanger that profits off mass murder, illegal conduct, and exploitation?
With a Republican majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and with President Trump in the White House, there is no excuse for not slashing Planned Parenthood’s federal funding this Congress.
The time is now
With a GOP-controlled White House and Congress, there’s never been a more opportune time for stopping Planned Parenthood in its baby-killing, federal-funding racket. As Democrats pushed their agenda through with the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” a budget reconciliation bill, Republicans should take a page out of their playbook and do the same with turning off the federal spigot of taxpayer funds to Planned Parenthood.
The Energy and Commerce Committee has the opportunity to slash Planned Parenthood funds during the budget reconciliation process by blocking Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements through a cost-saving reconciliation bill. This strategy will be most successful if it is framed as essential fiscal policy rather than a contentious social issue.
There is no way to justify hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars going toward abortion. Not only is this prohibited by the Hyde Amendment, but it is funding a criminal enterprise with our money.
Time is of the essence as complete reconciliation measures have varied significantly in the past, with the shortest process lasting just 27 days in 1990 and the longest taking 384 days in 2005. On average, the full reconciliation process requires about five months from start to finish, so strap in!
Learn a lesson from 2017
In 2017, House Republicans had a similar opportunity to cancel out Planned Parenthood funding through budget reconciliation, but efforts fell short in the Senate.
Today’s Republican leadership should leverage its congressional majority to their advantage, learn a lesson from 2017, and use this budget reconciliation process to defund Planned Parenthood once and for all.
The Republican majority must stick to the process even when it gets complicated. Defunding Planned Parenthood has been attempted before, but this time, let’s see it through the finish line — we’ll get them this time.
From the high court to halls of congress
Since Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic will soon be heard by the Supreme Court — the case that will determine if states can defund Planned Parenthood — the abortion giant is in a more vulnerable position than ever. Now is the time for Congress to strike while the iron is hot and deliver a death blow to Planned Parenthood.
The tide is turning for the cause of life. It’s time for Americans to urge their representatives to stand for life and for Republicans in Congress to move efforts forward and end federal Planned Parenthood funding for good. Not a single taxpayer dollar should go toward funding abortion, and the stage is set for Congress to ensure just that.
Jonathan Alexandre, Esq., is vice president of governmental affairs and senior counsel for Liberty Counsel and Liberty Counsel Action. He consults with and advises state and federal legislators and policy groups in government relations. He also serves as General Counsel for the Frederick Douglass Foundation.
