In 2025, conservatives temporarily cut off federal Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood through the "Big Beautiful Bill," but without further congressional action, the ban is set to lapse on Independence Day.
Madeline Alfonso of Advancing American Freedom, a conservative advocacy organization former Vice President Mike Pence founded in 2021 to promote policies based on the Trump administration's agenda, says it is "really important" that Planned Parenthood does not receive taxpayer dollars.
"So many Americans today are pro-life and do not support abortion and are proud members of the pro-life movement," she tells AFN. "It is upsetting and not fair that their tax dollars are having to pay for something that they morally detest."
Under the Hyde Amendment, federal funds cannot directly pay for elective abortion procedures, but Medicaid can still reimburse providers for other medical services they provide. The provision in the Big Beautiful Bill effectively cut Medicaid funding to those providers across the board.
Neither measure is a permanent statute.
Congress must include the Hyde Amendment every year in the federal budget to remain in effect, and unlike President Donald Trump, Democrats generally want to repeal it and remove federal restrictions on abortion funding in programs
Planned Parenthood, the largest single provider of abortions in the United States, claims it uses taxpayer funds as reimbursements for non-abortion services like cancer screenings, Sexually Transmitted Infection tests, and contraception, but pro-lifers argue that those funds merely free up money for Planned Parenthood to promote and perform more than 400,000 abortions every year.
Without the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, over 40% of Planned Parenthood's revenue comes from government reimbursements and grants.
"Congress needs to pass a reconciliation bill in order to make sure that this funding ban continues," Alfonso submits. "People need to stand up; Congress needs to stand up, and we need to fight for life."
The defunding could be extended or made permanent if Congress passes new legislation amending or replacing the current one‑year rule, which is possible with Republicans in control.
