Given that President-elect Donald Trump has indicated he will not support new federal abortion restrictions during his second term, abortion advocates have another immediate priority for his return to power: defunding Planned Parenthood.

According to the American Life League, which monitors Planned Parenthood’s activities through its STOPP International initiative, the abortion giant benefited from nearly $700 million in federal funding in 2023 – an increase of more than $80 million since 2020 , Trump’s final year in office. But on the campaign trail in October, Vice President-elect JD Vance suggested that such largesse would be targeted under a Trump-Vance administration, responding to a question about defunding Planned Parenthood by saying that Trump has been “consistently” opposing it of late tax money – term abortion.

A second indication that Planned Parenthood’s federal funding is being challenged by the new administration was November 20th Wall Street Journal Commentary co-authored by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, chosen by Trump to co-head his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In their article, Trump’s government cuts team cited the “nearly $300 million given to progressive groups like Planned Parenthood” as one of the targets that DOGE has “in its sights.”

Republican members of Congress have also announced that funding for Planned Parenthood will be targeted in the future, now that both chambers of Congress are under Republican control.

On November 22, more than 100 Republicans in Congress – including current House Speaker Mike Johnson and new Senate Majority Leader John Thune – signed a letter calling on the Government Accountability Office to investigate how much money is awarded to health centers run by Planned Parenthood and other groups that provide abortions.

“We hope this report provides greater insight into Congress’ thinking about funding levels and provides greater transparency and openness for our constituencies and the public at large,” the Republican lawmakers said in their letter.

According to an article published on the online news site NOTUS, “defunding Planned Parenthood is now a consensus position” for Republicans in Congress, in contrast to when it first emerged as a potential party priority in 2007 during George W.’s presidency game was brought. Bush, then-Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana. This unified anti-Planned Parenthood sentiment is partly a result of the fact that the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, its political arm, has effectively become part of the Democratic Party’s campaign apparatus.

For example, in the 2021-2022 election cycle, Planned Parenthood PAC donated $676,765 to federal Democratic candidates and $0 to Republican candidates, OpenSecrets.org reported.

These latest collective signals from Republicans stand in sharp contrast to Joe Biden’s staunchly pro-Planned Parenthood stance throughout the outgoing president’s term. In addition to the increased funding given to the nation’s leading abortion provider during his presidency, Biden last month reiterated his appreciation for the organization by awarding former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Planned Parenthood Finances

According to Planned Parenthood’s most recent annual report, the $700 million in government funding from 2022 to 2023 represented 34% of the $2.05 billion in total revenue that year. Because the Hyde Amendment continues to prohibit direct taxpayer funding of abortion, the majority of federal tax funding flows through Medicaid reimbursements for other “sexual and reproductive health” services provided by Planned Parenthood affiliates. Planned Parenthood’s second primary source of funding is the Title X family planning program.

Planned Parenthood’s most recent annual report said the company provided a total of more than 9.1 million “medical services” in 2021-2022, with testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and the provision of various forms of artificial contraception accounting for more than two-thirds of those identified services. Its affiliates also performed a total of 392,715 abortions – the highest number ever – which are included in the report as part of overall “medical services.”

Given that abortion represents less than 5% of total services according to this bill, this would seem at first glance to indicate that providing abortions represents a very small portion of Planned Parenthood’s business. In fact, this has long been a key talking point for abortion provider executives as lawmakers push to defund the organization because of its involvement in abortion.

But pro-life analysts say that argument is intentionally misleading.

In fact, according to an analysis of data in Charlotte Lozier’s 2022-23 annual report, abortions account for a staggering 97.1% of Planned Parenthood’s “pregnancy solution” services, while prenatal care, miscarriage care and adoption services combined account for less than 3%. such services. Since 2010, the analysis found, the number of abortions has increased by 20%, while cancer screening and prevention services have declined by 71% and prenatal services have fallen by 80%. and contraceptive services have declined by 39%.

Michael New, a professor at the Catholic University of America and a research scientist at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, commented last year that these facts “demonstrate a consistent long-term trend leading to more abortions being performed and fewer health services being provided.”

Exactly how much Planned Parenthood spent on providing abortions is unclear in the 2022-23 report, as those expenses are included in the $1.144 billion total that affiliates say they spent on medical services. However, if you subtract the $700 million in tax dollars from this total, it can be assumed that abortion expenses make up the majority of the over $400 million in other annual expenses, since this money is not used directly to fund abortions can be.

Additionally, Planned Parenthood’s pro-life critics point out that the tax dollars flowing to the abortion provider are “fungible,” meaning that this government funding enables more of the same by supporting the operating costs of its facilities and other fixed costs Planned Parenthood’s other income is supposed to be used to provide abortions.

How defunding could work

Previous Republican-led efforts to stop federal funding for Planned Parenthood have been largely unsuccessful, except for a brief period during the Trump administration when Planned Parenthood was forced to temporarily withdraw from the title due to a new federal Protect Life rule -X Family Planning Program Requires Title X recipients to be financially and physically separated from abortion providers. That rule, which drained an estimated $60 million in funding from Planned Parenthood’s coffers, was repealed by the Biden administration in 2021.

To achieve a more lasting and comprehensive result this time, pro-life federal lawmakers could use the passage of the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act (HR372), a law that would “require all federally funded entities to certify.” Subject to certain exceptions, no abortions may be performed or financial support given to other facilities that perform abortions.” The only exceptions would be abortions in cases of rape or incest, or when the mother’s life is in danger.

However, it remains to be seen whether this bill can become law, as Republicans have narrow control in both chambers of Congress and some Republican members may leave the House.

Another remedy advocated by Students for Life of America is for the new Trump administration to “bar” Planned Parenthood from receiving any form of federal funding under an administrative rule designed to protect the federal government from fraud, waste and abuse.

Students for Life argues that Planned Parenthood could be liable for debarment on several grounds, including allegations of illegal involvement in fetal tissue trafficking, Medicaid fraud, and failures to maintain health and safety standards and report sex crimes.

Allegations of child trafficking

Planned Parenthood may be the most vulnerable to the fetal product trafficking allegations, which rose to prominence starting in 2015 after the Center for Medical Progress, a pro-life advocacy group, released a series of undercover videos depicting abortionists talking about the Fetal removal discussed selling fetal body parts for medical research. While Planned Parenthood has not yet been charged as a result of these revelations, pro-life lawmakers — including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trump’s nominee for secretary of state — have continued to push for further investigation into the matter.

In March, after the Center for Medical Progress released documents showing that a Planned Parenthood affiliate had allegedly provided fetal tissue to the University of California San Diego “for consideration,” Rubio sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Christi Grimm called for a federal investigation. In November, the Center for Medical Progress released additional documents from a California public records request about the Planned Parenthood affiliate that provided the California university with “viable, non-abnormal” fetuses up to 23 weeks old.

Under the Biden administration, Rubio’s calls for an investigation did not gain traction. But his presence as a senior figure in the second Trump administration alongside other Planned Parenthood critics such as Vice President Vance suggests that Planned Parenthood’s vulnerability to federal funding shortfalls may be greater now than ever before.