The Trump administration is reportedly pausing millions in federal funding for Planned Parenthood, essentially defunding the abortion giant, while it reviews whether any of the money was spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Planned Parenthood and its affiliates were set to receive approximately $120 million this year, with the money earmarked for pregnancy testing, evaluation, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and infertility counseling, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported on the move Tuesday.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order shortly after taking office in January eliminating federal DEI efforts, and a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told Reuters that “HHS is reviewing grantees to ensure compliance with President Trump’s executive orders.”
The money is reportedly distributed by HHS’ Title X program, with the $120 million being about half of the funding available to the program for this year. Under the program, roughly four million people access services through a network of around 4,000 clinics.
“The Trump-Vance-Musk administration wants to shut down Planned Parenthood health centers by any means necessary, and they’ll end people’s access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more to do it,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson told the Journal.
Democrats in Congress also slammed the administration’s move to halt the funding.