We have an update on the Senate’s version of what has been dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It involves a clause that would withdraw all federal funding to organizations like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions.
The abortion provider provision is part of the Medicaid segment of the bill, which has been recently made public by Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). This development follows earlier reports that this language is a reflection of the House bill, which was narrowly passed last month.
Legislation seeks to prohibit federal funding for abortion providers for the next decade, as well as those who offer gender-transition procedures. The evidence suggests that if the provision stays intact in the final version of the bill, the law would forbid federal Medicaid funding for nonabortion services from healthcare centers that carry out elective abortions. According to reliable sources, under federal law, Medicaid dollars cannot be used for abortions unless the life of the mother is at stake or in cases of rape or incest. However, these funds can be allocated to health centers that offer elective abortions.
Advocates from both sides have voiced strong opinions on the matter. Proponents of the bill, such as National Right to Life president Carol Tobias, laud the act, stating, “American citizens should not be forced into funding abortions.” On the other hand, Planned Parenthood has vowed to strongly oppose the proposal, with its president, Alexis McGill Johnson, stating, “With this proposal, abortion opponents in Congress have declared they want working families to take on skyrocketing healthcare costs.”
With the reconciliation bill extending beyond Planned Parenthood to any provider that received more than $1 million in Medicaid funding in 2024, a change in federal funding for abortion providers could have far-reaching effects.
Attempts to strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood have been underway for years, even before the Supreme Court upheld the federal right to abortion. The question remains whether this bill will succeed where previous efforts have fallen short.
