Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) introduced the “Defund Planned Parenthood Act” this week, reviving a long-standing GOP legislative priority in the Colorado Republican’s first bill of the new Congress.
Boebert introduced the bill on Friday, the same day thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the March for Life that rallies against abortion access. The legislation builds on previous efforts to prohibit federal funding from going toward Planned Parenthood that have been continually introduced in Congress over the last several years.
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“The nation’s largest abortion provider has no business receiving taxpayer dollars. Planned Parenthood claims these funds go to healthcare for women, but last year, Planned Parenthood performed a record number of abortions while also reducing the number of well-woman exams and breast cancer screenings it performed,” Boebert said in a statement. “Instead of funding Planned Parenthood, my bill will redirect this funding to community health centers that actually meet the health needs of women across the country.”
The bill would prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving federal money and would instead redirect those funds to go toward community health centers that provide care to women. Twenty-nine Republicans signed on to Boebert’s bill, including Reps. Dan Bishop (NC), Andrew Clyde (GA), Matt Gaetz (FL), and Paul Gosar (AZ), among others.
Planned Parenthood receives government funding in two ways: federal grants through Title X and through reimbursements for services provided to people with Medicaid. In fact, a majority of the organization’s funding comes from the government, according to the Congressional Research Service.
However, federal funding given to Planned Parenthood cannot be used to perform abortions, according to the Hyde Amendment that was enacted in 1977. That amendment prohibits the use of government funds for abortion except in the cases of rape, incest, or risk to the mother’s life.
A majority of Planned Parenthood’s services go toward providing STI testing and treatment as well as contraceptives, according to the organization’s most recent annual report from 2020-21. Only 4% of its services were used to perform abortions.
Planned Parenthood offices performed 383,460 abortions during that time frame — an increase from 354,871 the year before, according to an analysis from the Heritage Foundation. Meanwhile, services for breast screenings, adoption referrals, and other exams decreased during the same time frame, prompting outcry from conservatives.
Boebert cited those numbers in her bill, lamenting that “Planned Parenthood’s business model is to prioritize abortions above all else.” As a result, the Colorado Republican is proposing to redirect all federal funds that go toward Planned Parenthood to go toward other health organizations across the country.
“From 2020-2021, the government gave $633 million — or over $1.7 million per day — in taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood,” Boebert wrote. “Instead of funding Planned Parenthood, Congresswoman Boebert’s legislation redirects $235 million to funding community health centers across the country that provide healthcare for women.”
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Although the bill has strong support from House Republicans, the legislation is likely to fail the Senate where Democrats hold a 51-49 majority.
The Washington Examiner contacted Planned Parenthood for a statement on the proposed legislation but has not yet received a response.
