More than 150 pro-life leaders from national and state organizations across all 50 states have called on Congress to halt taxpayer funding for the abortion industry, citing what they describe as a mandate from the American public following the November elections.
In a letter sent to lawmakers this week, the coalition urged the Republican-controlled Congress to use budget reconciliation to cut off federal dollars to Planned Parenthood, which endangers women and kills thousands of unborn children while reaping millions in public funds.
The letter follows on the heels of President Donald Trump freezing $120 million in Planned Parenthood grants yesterday, which stops one of multiple sources of funding for the abortion giant.
The push comes as reconciliation bills in 2015 and 2017 included similar provisions to defund “Big Abortion,” though those efforts ultimately fell short thanks to pro-abortion Republicans in the Senate.
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This year, with a Republican trifecta in Washington, the coalition sees a renewed opportunity to end what they call a “terrible investment” for taxpayers. According to Planned Parenthood’s most recent annual report, the abortion company received nearly $700 million in taxpayer funds—amounting to almost $2 million daily—while doing nearly 400,000 abortions in a single year.
“In November, the American people gave a mandate – it is time for change in Washington,” the letter states. “A Republican trifecta presents the opportunity to bolster these efforts by cutting funding for Big Abortion, including Planned Parenthood, through budget reconciliation.”
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, echoed the coalition’s stance in a statement: “Abortion is the leading cause of death in America and for too long, hardworking Americans have been forced to underwrite it. It’s unconscionable that abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood are propped up by hundreds of millions of dollars annually, courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer.”
The coalition pointed to a series of exposes’ against Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses as evidence of the industry’s harm.
They cited a New York Times investigation into substandard care at Planned Parenthood facilities, including botched abortions and unsanitary conditions, as well as the death last month of 18-year-old Lexi Arguello in Colorado, due to delayed emergency care following a late-term abortion complication. Other incidents referenced include a Missouri Planned Parenthood staffer offering to assist a man in transporting a 13-year-old girl across state lines for an abortion without parental notification, and a lawsuit claiming an Illinois abortionist left part of an unborn baby’s body inside the mother, necessitating emergency surgery.
The groups also highlighted past controversies, including a 2017 congressional investigation that led to 13 criminal referrals to the Justice Department over Planned Parenthood’s alleged role in the illegal sale of aborted baby parts, and the 2018 closure of a Missouri facility after staff admitted to using moldy equipment on patients.
“Our 150-member-strong coalition representing every state in the country sends a clear message that the abortion industry never deserves our tax dollars,” Dannenfelser said.
