Several moderate Republicans reportedly voiced opposition to defunding Planned Parenthood in a reconciliation package during a closed-door meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) on Tuesday, NOTUS reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Many Republicans and pro-life groups have been pushing the GOP to use budget reconciliation to cut Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood, which performs abortions and provides other services. While the Hyde Amendment bars taxpayer funds from paying specifically for abortions, opponents are against providing any funding to a group that performs abortions.
One source told the outlet that Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) are among the moderate Republicans who told House leadership they are opposed to cutting federal funding to the abortion giant in a reconciliation bill.
Johnson told NOTUS while leaving his office that discussion about defunding Planned Parenthood “was not on our agenda.” Johnson notably said at a gala last week for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America that the reconciliation bill “is going to redirect funds away from big abortion.”
Other Republicans were also cautious when NOTUS asked them about the topic, according to the report.
“That was sort of a closed-door discussion, I’m not going to go into that now,” Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) told reporters.
Fitzpatrick said before the meeting that Republicans need “simplicity” in the reconciliation bill, and said he was planning to bring the issue up in the meeting. He also contended Republicans should be focusing on other policy areas, according to the report.
After publication of the NOTUS report, a spokesperson for Kiggans said her position was taken “out of context.”
“Congresswoman Kiggans is proudly pro-life and firmly opposes any federal funding for abortion, ” the spokesperson said. “She attended a closed-door policy discussion with House leadership and Republican colleagues focused on Medicaid reform within the broader reconciliation process. The Congresswoman supports thoughtful, targeted Medicaid reforms that strengthen the program, preserve its integrity, and ensure it serves those who it was originally intended to help.”
The Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee — which would be responsible for defunding Planned Parenthood — are ultimately tasked with cutting $880 billion. Cutting funds to Planned Parenthood “has been floated in several private meetings,” according to the report.
Lawler told the outlet that he has not seen specific language on the matter and noted that “fundamentally, obviously, from the standpoint of providing health care to women, you know, I’m not for taking away people’s health care.”
“Obviously, Planned Parenthood does provide a lot of services outside of abortion-related services, and so, you know, I’d have to see what they’re proposing,” Lawler said.
President Donald Trump has called on Republicans to pass his agenda through reconciliation in “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Defunding abortion businesses through the reconciliation process would allow the Senate to bypass the critical 60-vote threshold for a simple majority vote instead.
After President Trump was elected, Johnson said he would like to slash funds for Planned Parenthood, and Elon Musk proposed using the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he heads, to cut funds to the abortion organization. The Wall Street Journal reported in March that the Trump administration plans to freeze federal grants to Planned Parenthood abortion worth $120 million this year.
In April, the Trump administration froze tens of millions of dollars in Title X funds to nine Planned Parenthood state affiliates, pointing to “possible violations” of federal civil rights law and President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
Planned Parenthood’s 2023 annual report reveals that taxpayer funding in the form of government grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements hit $699.3 million and made up 34 percent of Planned Parenthood’s overall revenue.
Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding has increased by 43 percent since 2010, according to an analysis by the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute. The institute noted that Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding is reported by its affiliates, whose information lags behind the national office and covers fiscal years ending in 2022.
Planned Parenthood also reported $997.5 million from private contributions, up 44 percent from the previous report. In total, the abortion giant reported nearly $2.1 billion in income and more than $2.5 billion in net assets.
The same report shows that Planned Parenthood performed 392,716 abortions in 2021-2022, a five-percent increase from the previous year and a 20-percent increase over its past ten reports, according to the institute. Total services were down 17 percent.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
