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A Senate provision stripping abortion providers — including Planned Parenthood — of federal taxpayer dollars through Medicaid will remain in the Big, Beautiful Bill after the Senate parliamentarian on Monday ruled that the language does not violate the Byrd Rule.
Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough allowed the provision to remain after Senate Republicans on Friday changed the timing of defunding from ten years to one year, the Hill reported. The Senate additionally rejected an amendment that would have funded Planned Parenthood as part of the budget reconciliation bill by a 49-51 vote.
The success comes after a major campaign by conservatives and pro-life organizations urging Republicans and President Donald Trump to end taxpayer dollars to abortion organizations through reconciliation — as Congress did in 2015 and 2017.
Defunding abortion providers through the reconciliation process would allow the Senate to bypass the critical 60-vote threshold for a simple majority vote, instead capitalizing on Republicans’ overall trifecta. While federal funding for abortions specifically is barred by the Hyde Amendment, pro-life opponents argue no federal funds should be used to prop up any organization that performs abortions.
Planned Parenthood’s most recent annual report revealed record numbers of abortions and taxpayer funding in 2023-2024.
The report, called “A Force For Hope,” states that 402,230 unborn babies were killed in abortions, up from 392,715 the previous year. At the same time, the organization received $792.2 million in taxpayer funding, up almost $100 million from the previous year.
“Planned Parenthood has said losing Medicaid funding would put at least 200 health centers across the country at risk of closure — 90 percent of them in states where abortion is legal. More than 1 million low-income people would lose access to a health care provider,” according to the Hill.
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The inclusion of the provision also follows a Supreme Court ruling last week essentially allowing red states to deny Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood. The provision in the budget reconciliation bill would apply nationally.
