Trump administration freezes grant to Planned Parenthood as funds under review

Image credit: Mackenzie Marco via UnSplash / Volodymyr Hryshchenko via Unsplash

The Trump administration has announced that grants of tens of millions going to Planned Parenthood will be frozen, whilst the funds going to the abortion provider undergoes a review.

According to LifeNews, this past Tuesday, as part of a push to “reshape federal health policies”, the Trump administration announced that it would freeze about $20 million in grants to Planned Parenthood, as the federal funds undergoes a review in how it aligns with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. The freeze cuts off any financial support to the organisation, and the White House has not commented on the timeframe of the review nor if and when funds may resume.

LifeNews also reports that pro-life leaders have argued that “Planned Parenthood’s abortions overshadow any legitimate health care it may offer, making it an inappropriate recipient of public funds.” They said that pro-lifers have confirmed that community health centres and pregnancy centres are ready to provide any health care service planned parenthood provides without offering abortions.

The news has been welcomed by the pro-life community particularly as Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the US, which accounts for 350,000 abortions every year.

“This is a victory for the unborn and for taxpayers who have been forced to fund an industry that ends innocent lives,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. “The Trump administration is taking a bold stand to ensure federal resources prioritize women’s health and family support, not abortion.”

“This is about protecting life and respecting the conscience of Americans who don’t want their money supporting abortion,” she continued. “We commend the administration for taking action and look forward to further policies that uphold the dignity of every human being.”

“We are happy to see another of the many streams of funding of Planned Parenthood cut off, and we want that trend to continue,” said Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life. “The irony is that Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry are the opposite of DEI because they cannot accept the DEI of the unborn.”

The pro-life community have had reason to be hopeful that Planned Parenthood could be defunded, after President Trump assigned CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk, and former presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy to head the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, to cut down on federal spending, who had hinted at cutting funds going to Planned Parenthood.

Since his inauguration earlier this year, President Trump has cut down on federal funds that go to the provision or promotion of abortion, including signing the Mexico City Policy that prevents American tax dollars from providing funds to groups that promote or provide abortions overseas, and defunding the UNFPA, a United Nations agency who promotes abortion worldwide.

Sandra Parda of the Life Institute commented, saying: “This is a fantastic move by the Trump administration that once again recognises the importance of where tax payer funds should go – and it is not for abortion”

“Abortion is not healthcare. People work hard, and the taxes they pay should go to providing real healthcare and support within their community that cherishes all life – not to a life-ending service that kills innocent babies in the womb.”