Congress Must Extend Defund of Planned Parenthood
This Fourth of July will be a huge celebration of America’s 250th birthday. It will also be the day our nation’s largest abortion giant, Planned Parenthood, receives a multi-million-dollar gift – unless Congress intervenes.
Last year, Congress defunded Planned Parenthood – which killed 434,350 preborn children in one year according to its latest annual report – of around $850 million in federal taxpayer money. Since then, around 50 Planned Parenthood clinics have closed, in part because of financial troubles.
The defund provision (Section 71113) was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025. The bill also cut taxes on working families, provided additional funding for border security and immigration enforcement, and beefed-up spending on national security.
While the Hyde amendment prohibits taxpayer dollars from directly going to pay for abortions, Planned Parenthood could receive federal monies, including government grants, contracts and Medicaid reimbursements, for other services.
All money is fungible, so these federal dollars indirectly supported the organization’s grisly abortion business by allowing it to pay salaries, sustain operating expenses and open new locations. That’s how Planned Parenthood grew into a $2.1 billion enterprise.
Originally, it wasn’t clear whether the defund provision would even go into effect after Planned Parenthood, and a coalition of 23 states, filed separate lawsuits arguing Section 71113 violated the U.S. Constitution.
Federal Judge Indira Talwani initially sided with the abortion giant, ruling Section 71113 violated the equal protection clause and was an unconstitutional bill of attainder, just three days after the president signed the bill.
However, Judge Talwani’s decision was quickly overturned by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which was notable, since the 1st Circuit is widely seen as one the most liberal appellate courts in the country. The 1st Circuit unanimously upheld Section 71113.
The defund provision lasts only one year, however, meaning it will expire in less than two months unless Congress acts to extend the provision.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted through the reconciliation process, which Congress can generally use once per year to enact tax- and spending-related priorities. The reconciliation process allows legislation to pass the U.S. Senate by simple majority vote, rather than the usually required 60-vote threshold.
The current Congress, however, can use the reconciliation process twice more before the end of this year. Pro-life advocates have been urging Congress to use the opportunity to defund Planned Parenthood again.
Congress recently advanced a “skinny” reconciliation bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security to end the agency’s shutdown. That leaves one reconciliation bill left which could be used to extend the defund provision.
According to House Pro-Life Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is “doing everything he can to make sure that happens.”
Speaker Johnson told the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Gala on April 29, “We’ve been very creative in how we’ve used [the reconciliation process], and we’re intending to do that again.”
Rep. Smith said Planned Parenthood again receiving taxpayer dollars would sour the celebration of America’s 250th birthday on July 4.
“It would mar the event,” Smith told the Daily Signal.
Nearly 250 years ago, America’s Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the self-evident truth that all men have unalienable rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Our elected representatives in Congress must ensure our nation lives up to its founding principles by barring taxpayer dollars from going to a massive enterprise that kills thousands of innocent Americans annually, depriving them of their right to life.
At Focus on the Family, we have been working to turn the cultural tide and save mothers and babies from abortion for years. Since beginning the Option Ultrasound Program in 2004, Focus has helped save over half a million lives. Just $60 will help save a life through Option Ultrasound. Will you partner with us to save lives from abortion?
If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, you can visit My Choice Network.
Related articles and resources:
Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy
Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate
New Insights on the Dangers of the Abortion Pill
Overcoming Abortion and Becoming a Force for Life
New Planned Parenthood Annual Report: More Abortions, Fewer Services
Planned Parenthood Drops Suit After Trying to Force Taxpayers to Fund Abortions
Conservative Lawmakers Propose Budget Bill Defunding Big Abortion – Again
Appeals Court Upholds Defunding of Big Abortion Businesses
Photo from Getty Images.
