A coalition of state-level pro-life legislators from across the United States delivered a letter today to top Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress, calling for the use of the budget reconciliation process to eliminate federal funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood.
The letter, dated May 12, 2025, was addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader John Thune, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo.
The signatories, identifying themselves as members of the National Pro-Life Leaders Network, stated they are “deeply concerned with the way that big abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood prey on unborn children and hurt women, all while receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from American taxpayers.”
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Citing a “Republican trifecta in Washington,” the state legislators argued that “it is time to use the budget reconciliation process to defund big abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.” They specifically urged the inclusion of language to defund these organizations in upcoming Budget Reconciliation bills from the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.
The letter presented several claims to support their call for defunding. According to the legislators, abortion ended the lives of 1 million American babies in 2023, with Planned Parenthood reportedly responsible for nearly 40% of these abortions. The letter also claimed that Planned Parenthood received nearly $700 million from American taxpayers in the same year, primarily through Medicaid funding.
The state lawmakers further alleged that Planned Parenthood “regularly harms women and girls.” They referenced a recent New York Times article that they claim “detailed numerous instances of unsafe conditions,” citing examples of alleged botched abortions, a poorly inserted birth control implant causing nerve damage, a child stillborn after an IUD was allegedly inserted in a pregnant woman, and sewage leaks at facilities.
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They contend that Planned Parenthood “has regularly opposed basic health and safety requirements for their facilities, all while providing poor care,” and that women can receive “better and more comprehensive care at Federally Qualified Health Centers and community health centers that vastly outnumber Planned Parenthoods.”
Allegations regarding parental rights were also included, with the letter stating that Planned Parenthood “has also consistently attacked parental rights.” They cited a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood of Missouri concerning an alleged offer to help an adult man transport a 13-year-old girl across state lines for an abortion without her parents’ knowledge or consent.
The legislators also highlighted Planned Parenthood’s political activities, claiming the organization “boasted about funneling millions of dollars towards woke lobbying.” They stated that Planned Parenthood’s political arm spent almost $70 million during the 2024 election cycle to “defeat Republicans, push all-trimester abortion ballot initiatives… and promote lies that put women and girls at risk.” They characterized Planned Parenthood Action Fund as consistently endorsing Democratic candidates and lobbying for abortion and “pushing transgender ideology,” while allegedly providing poor patient care.
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Concluding their appeal, the letter noted that “Many of our states have already acted to stop state Medicaid dollars from going to Big Abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood.” They stated, “It is time for Congress to stop federal Medicaid dollars from going to Big Abortion.”
The letter was signed by a lengthy list of state senators and representatives from states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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