Over 300 anti-abortion activists descended on the halls of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to urge lawmakers to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood via reconciliation — a goal advocates say is in sight under the Republican trifecta in Washington.
“I think that we need to strike while the iron is hot,” said Michael New, a senior associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, an anti-abortion research organization. “The most productive years for any new presidential administration is, you know, their first few months. I think this is probably our best opportunity to really make some cuts in Planned Parenthood, and I think we’re wise to be organized.”
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to freeze millions of dollars in Title X Family Planning Program grants for certain organizations, including Planned Parenthood affiliates, The Wall Street Journal reported, similarly to when President Donald Trump in his first term enacted a policy that barred organizations that gave referrals for abortions from receiving Title X money. (The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to NOTUS’ request for comment.)