Republican lawmakers are preparing legislation to permanently defund Planned Parenthood by using budget reconciliation, a strategy that allows a simple Senate majority to bypass the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), alongside other pro-life leaders, is leading the charge following the organization’s disclosure of nearly $700 million in taxpayer funds received last year.
On March 27, Rep. Miller joined fellow Republicans and pro-life activists at a Capitol Hill rally, calling on Congress to use its current political majority to end government subsidies for abortion providers. Miller announced she is working to strip Planned Parenthood of federal dollars through the reconciliation process. She emphasized that no taxpayer money should fund abortion, calling it the “murder of innocent lives.”
The rally followed a letter from 150 pro-life leaders urging lawmakers to include defunding measures in upcoming budget bills. The letter highlighted past Republican efforts in 2015 and 2017 to cut abortion industry funding and stressed the urgency of renewing these actions under a GOP-controlled government.
Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report revealed it took in $699.3 million in government grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements in 2023—34 percent of its total revenue. This taxpayer funding has increased by 43 percent since 2010, according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute. The organization performed 392,716 abortions in 2021-2022, a five-percent year-over-year increase and 20 percent rise over a decade.
Pro-life lawmakers have sharply criticized Planned Parenthood’s financial priorities. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House Pro-life Caucus, called abortion “violence,” denouncing procedures as acts of “child decapitation, dismemberment, and starvation.” Smith emphasized the need to end taxpayer subsidies for what he described as “child abuse.”
Further scrutiny has been directed at the organization’s executive compensation. A report from American Life League’s STOPP International noted that Planned Parenthood affiliate CEOs saw an 11 percent pay increase from 2020 to 2023, averaging $352,661 annually. President Alex McGill Johnson receives over $900,000, while California-based affiliate heads earn upwards of $800,000.
Miller’s push follows actions by President Trump’s administration to block Title X funds to Planned Parenthood affiliates accused of federal violations. Trump has urged Republicans to pursue defunding through a unified reconciliation bill, calling it “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, have also expressed support for cutting funding to the abortion giant. The Trump administration plans to freeze $120 million in federal Planned Parenthood grants in 2025, according to the Wall Street Journal.
