Pro-lifers hold nationwide day of protest to defund Planned Parenthood
A Planned Parenthood facility in Indianapolis. / Credit: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock
Ann Arbor, Michigan, Apr 3, 2025 / 08:30 am (CNA).
A coalition of pro-life organizations on Wednesday held rallies outside abortuaries to demand that Congress and the White House completely end the taxpayer subsidy of killing unborn human beings, nationally and at the state level.
The Pro-Life Action League and Citizens for a Pro-Life Society promoted the April 2 Nationwide Day of Protest to Defund Planned Parenthood to redirect public funds away from abortion to instead go to health centers that affirm life.
In an interview with CNA, Matt Yonke of the Pro-Life Action League pointed out that “Planned Parenthood provides less than 1% of annual pap tests and clinical breast exams but performs 42% of annual abortions in the U.S. They’ve been caught shielding child predators, defrauding Medicaid, and harvesting fetal tissue for profit.”
“Now with the Trump administration, it’s time to put defunding Planned Parenthood back on the table. Americans, even people who don’t have moral qualms about abortion, don’t want their tax dollars going to abortion,” he said. Yonke told CNA some 80 rallies took place in 20 states across the country.
The Trump administration is moving to freeze $27.5 million in federal funds for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers of the more than $286 million allocated to the Title X program for the current fiscal year, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Yonke cited as an example of pro-life action the rally that took place Wednesday at the Planned Parenthood-Aurora Health Center in Aurora, Illinois. The facility provides surgical and chemical abortion, contraception, and sex education. According to Yonke, the location also serves as a call center. Speaking to broad support among pro-lifers, Yonke said: “This is definitely an ecumenical effort among Christians.”
Monica Miller of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society told CNA that rallies were planned at four abortion facilities in Michigan, where she is based. “We want to draw attention to this issue and let Planned Parenthood know we are not going away,” Miller said.
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) found that federal funds going to domestic and international organizations providing “preventative health care services, including sexual and reproductive health services [and] family planning” as well as “treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS,” amounted to approximately $8 billion during the 2019–2021 period. During that time, Planned Parenthood Federation of America received about $148 million in HHS grants as well as $1.54 billion in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) payments. Its affiliates also received $89 million in loans and accrued interest that were forgiven.
In addition, the International Planned Parenthood Federation received about $2.03 million from the now-defunct U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Separately, MSI Reproductive Choices received about $1.35 million from USAID.
Yonke said pro-lifers do not want to reduce spending on legitimate health care and that defunding Planned Parenthood “would not reduce the overall pool for spending on health care or women’s health care in particular.”
Planned Parenthood not only receives millions in federal subsidies, it is also a political powerhouse. According to OpenSecrets, the organization gave over $500,000 to Democratic congressional candidates during the 2023-2024 season.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, has introduced the End Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Providers Act, which would defund Planned Parenthood and abortion providers nationally.
“Americans have long made it clear that they oppose taxpayer-funded abortions,” Hawley said. “My legislation defends the unborn and upholds the will of the American people.” Similar legislation has been introduced in the House.
“We want to extract this bad actor, Planned Parenthood, from every level of public life altogether,” Yonke emphasized. Citing a recent New York Times article that references botched abortions, misplaced IUDs, declining revenue, and staff fatigue at Planned Parenthood affiliates, Yonke said the time is ripe to take action.