Over 300 anti-abortion activists descended on the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to urge lawmakers to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood via reconciliation — a goal advocates say is in sight under the Republican trifecta in Washington.
“I think that we need to strike while the iron is hot,” said Michael New, a senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, an anti-abortion research organization. “The most productive years for any new presidential administration is, you know, their first few months. I think this is probably our best opportunity to really make some cuts in Planned Parenthood, and I think we’re wise to be organized.”
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to freeze millions of dollars in Title X Family Planning Program grants for certain organizations, including Planned Parenthood affiliates, The Wall Street Journal reported, similarly to when President Donald Trump in his first term enacted a policy that barred organizations that gave referrals for abortions from receiving Title X money. (The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to NOTUS’ request for comment.)
While losing access to those grants would hinder Planned Parenthood, most of the federal funding the organization gets comes from Medicaid reimbursements for services that are not related to abortion. Congress would need to act to officially bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal money, although the Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal money from being used to cover abortions directly, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the patient’s life.
The anti-abortion movement is united and excited about their prospects, but some House Republicans are a bit more hesitant.
Rep. Andy Biggs, a longtime supporter of stripping funding from Planned Parenthood, told reporters during a press conference with anti-abortion leaders that he has “brought it up” in reconciliation conversations, but he’s unsure if it actually “gets in.”
“I’ve talked to some [Republicans] that are a little bit nervous about it, but they’re nervous about it solely, I think, from an electoral standpoint,” Biggs said, but declined to name which Republicans he was referring to.
Biggs said these lawmakers support the idea of defunding Planned Parenthood, but are weary of how it could come back to bite them in the upcoming midterms. But anti-abortion advocates and some lawmakers are working behind the scenes to convince Republicans to support defunding via reconciliation anyway, NOTUS has learned.
Shortly after NOTUS reported that Rep. Andy Harris, chair of the House Freedom Caucus and co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, said defunding Planned Parenthood didn’t fit in the reconciliation discussions because it “actually doesn’t save money,” he got a call from an anti-abortion advocate about his comments, that advocate told NOTUS.
Harris was also approached by at least one member of the House Pro-Life Caucus to change his mind, according to a source familiar with the conversation. The source suggested Harris was understanding.
The anti-abortion advocate, who spoke to NOTUS anonymously, said that since the discussion, “it’s night and day.” That “private conversation,” they added, “has borne fruit.”
A week after the NOTUS story was published, in fact, Harris had a completely different tone. He told Politico that “we shouldn’t be paying for institutions whose primary purpose is to do abortions.” (Harris’ office did not immediately respond to NOTUS’ request for comment).
The GOP has a razor-thin majority in the House, so every single member in the conference would need to support defunding Planned Parenthood through reconciliation. Rep. Mary Miller, a staunch anti-abortion member, told NOTUS she is committed to getting her colleagues behind the idea.
“There are a lot of us that are going to stand up and fight and make this a line in the sand, and so I think we’ll bring [members who are uncertain] along,” Miller said.
Anti-abortion activists are hoping Thursday’s lobbying day in Congress delivers similar results. Activists visited every single Republican office in both the Senate and the House, according to a spokesperson for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which was involved in the planning.
Penny Nance, CEO of the conservative Concerned Women for America, told NOTUS that by the end of the day, she expects to see “some understanding that there’s a real groundswell that finally it’s time to defund Planned Parenthood and for [Republicans] to feel comfortable with their vote as part of budget reconciliation.”
Republicans’ fear of electoral retribution for voting for anti-abortion causes is something “we always hear,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action.
“They fear Planned Parenthood’s backlash, but that makes my case for me,” Hawkins added. “Planned Parenthood is one of the biggest lobbyists and one of the biggest influences in all of Democratic politics. This is why they don’t deserve our tax dollars.”
Rep. Chris Smith, co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, told NOTUS that “we have to have the courage as policy makers” to prohibit any kind of federal funding from getting to Planned Parenthood.
“None of our jobs are worth the lives of children,” Smith said. “If I lose tomorrow, anybody loses tomorrow, so be it. Defend that innocent baby.”
In a statement to NOTUS, Angela Vasquez-Giroux, vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said ending Planned Parenthood’s access to federal funds could “take away essential health services like birth control, cancer screenings and STI testing and treatment from millions of people.”
The anti-abortion movement would “stand at odds with the majority of Americans who oppose Congress and the Trump administration blocking patients’ access to care by taking away funding from Planned Parenthood health centers,” Vasquez-Giroux added. “Planned Parenthood Action Fund is not new to these attacks.”
—
Oriana González is a reporter at NOTUS.