April 15, 2021

Cassidy, Ernst Introduce Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood

WASHINGTON – As the Biden Administration works to reverse a rule that prevents Title X funds from going to abortion providers, U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and 32 of their colleagues introduced legislation to prevent taxpayer dollars from going to the nation’s single largest provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood. The Protect Funding for Women’s Health Care Act prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. Instead, the bill redirects those funds to other eligible women’s health care providers while ensuring there is no reduction in federal funding for women’s health services.

“Louisiana families should not be forced to give their hard-earned tax dollars to abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This measure would protect babies and taxpayers while ensuring full funding for the thousands of centers around the country that provide true health care to women.”

“We must always fight to protect the most vulnerable of our society, the unborn. Sadly, President Biden is working to reverse a rule from the previous administration that prevented taxpayer money from going toward abortion providers. Iowans should not be forced to fund organizations like Planned Parenthood, the nation’s single largest provider of abortions, and this legislation will help put an end to this practice and redirect those funds to eligible women’s health care providers,” said Senator Ernst. 

Specifically, the Protect Funding for Women’s Health Care Act:

  • Prohibits federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America or any of its affiliate organizations;
  • Forbids Planned Parenthood from being eligible for any federal dollars, including through mandatory expenditures or unobligated funding of individual agencies;
  • Protects federal funding for health services for women, including diagnostic laboratory and radiology services, well-child care, prenatal and postnatal care, immunizations, cervical and breast cancer screenings and more; and,
  • Ensures there is no reduction in overall federal funding available to support women’s health.

Earlier this week, Senator Cassidy joined 100 House and Senate colleagues in calling on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and the White House to reverse their plans to abolish the Protect Life Rule, which prevents American tax dollars from being used to fund abortion. Read the full letter here

After learning that Planned Parenthood received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Cassidy demanded Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabel Guzman open an investigation. He urged SBA to take action to ensure Planned Parenthood affiliates return the funding and do not receive second-draw loans.

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