The federal government has temporarily halted a significant funding allocation amounting to $27.5 million intended for organizations offering family planning, contraception, cancer screenings, and services for sexually transmitted infections. This pause aims to assess whether these groups comply with the relevant laws. The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association disclosed that 16 organizations received notifications on Monday indicating that their funding has been suspended. Among these, at least 11 regional affiliates of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, along with Title X grant recipients in seven states, had their funds withheld.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has not revealed which specific laws or executive orders are being examined as part of the investigation. However, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association mentioned that some of the letters referenced civil rights laws. The pause aligns with executive orders from the Trump administration that target programs considering race, some of which have faced legal challenges and been temporarily halted by the courts.
Amid ongoing extensive job layoffs within Health and Human Services, the department clarified that no definitive decisions have been made regarding any budgetary changes affecting Planned Parenthood. Throughout the years, Republicans have persistently challenged the substantial funds allocated annually to Planned Parenthood. The organization’s clinics provide a range of services, including abortions, birth control, cancer checks, and screenings for diseases, despite federal laws prohibiting the use of taxpayer money for most abortions.
Healthcare providers emphasized that this funding suspension disproportionately impacts lower-income individuals. “When healthcare providers lose access to Title X funding, it is the people nationwide who suffer,” remarked Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “The result is undiagnosed cancers, severely limited access to birth control, and a worsening STI crisis nationwide.”
The reproductive health association, representing the majority of Title X grant recipients, reported that around one-fourth of these entities received the funding suspension notice. This includes all Title X grant recipients in states like California, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, and Utah. Notably, Mississippi enforces a complete abortion ban at all pregnancy stages.
George Hill, the President and CEO of Maine Family Planning, which offers abortion services, expressed readiness to pursue legal action to secure the necessary funds. “The Administration’s choice to withhold our Title X funds threatens crucial healthcare access for thousands in Maine. Any delays in federal grant disbursement will significantly disrupt our state’s family planning services and the population we serve,” Hill emphasized.
Similarly, the Missouri Family Health Council, which supports programs across Missouri and parts of Oklahoma, including Planned Parenthood affiliates, faced blocked funding. Despite the financial uncertainty, Planned Parenthood Great Plains—covering Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas—remains dedicated to delivering healthcare services.
“They are targeting Planned Parenthood centers to cater to their anti-abortion supporters, even if it means cutting access to birth control, cancer screenings, and STI treatments,” stated Emily Wales, Great Plains Planned Parenthood President and CEO. “If depriving low-income patients of healthcare aligns with the Trump administration’s view of ‘making America great again,’ we wholeheartedly reject that premise.”