Senate Clears Path to Defund Planned Parenthood in Budget Bill Showdown [WATCH]

A Senate provision to eliminate federal Medicaid funding for abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, will remain in the upcoming budget reconciliation bill after a decision Monday by Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough.

The provision had been the subject of debate over whether it complied with the Byrd Rule, which limits what can be included in reconciliation legislation.

MacDonough ruled that the defunding measure, which restricts abortion providers from receiving federal Medicaid dollars, does not violate the Byrd Rule.

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The Senate parliamentarian’s decision followed a revision by Senate Republicans last Friday that shortened the defunding window from ten years to one year, according to The Hill.

The Senate also narrowly rejected an amendment that would have restored federal funding for Planned Parenthood by a vote of 49-51, clearing the way for the defunding provision to remain intact in the reconciliation package.

BREAKING: By a vote of 49-51, the Senate has just REJECTED an amendment which would have funded Planned Parenthood as part of the BBB.

Important win. pic.twitter.com/Hf3rXXkdma

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 30, 2025

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The move represents a legislative victory for conservative lawmakers and pro-life organizations who have pressured Congress and President Donald Trump to use the reconciliation process to cut off taxpayer funding to organizations that perform abortions.

Similar efforts passed through Congress in both 2015 and 2017, although they were ultimately vetoed under previous administrations.

Because reconciliation legislation is not subject to a filibuster in the Senate, it only requires a simple majority of 51 votes to pass, rather than the standard 60-vote threshold.

That process gives Senate Republicans greater leverage to enact policies opposed by Democrats without needing bipartisan support.

Although the Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal funds from being used directly for abortion procedures, pro-life lawmakers argue that any federal funds given to abortion providers for other services still indirectly subsidize those operations.

Planned Parenthood’s most recent annual report, titled A Force For Hope, shows the organization performed 402,230 abortions during the 2023–2024 fiscal year.

That figure represents an increase from the previous year’s total of 392,715.

At the same time, the organization reported receiving $792.2 million in taxpayer funding—an increase of nearly $100 million from the prior year.

Planned Parenthood has publicly warned that losing Medicaid funding would put around 200 of its health centers at risk of closure.

According to The Hill, the group claims 90 percent of those centers are located in states where abortion remains legal.

The organization also stated that more than 1 million low-income patients could lose access to care if the defunding measure is enacted.

The Senate action follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week that upheld the rights of individual states to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding.

That decision effectively gave states the legal authority to redirect Medicaid funds away from abortion providers if they choose to do so.

The budget provision under consideration would expand that defunding measure nationwide.

The full budget reconciliation package, which has been referred to by supporters as the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Senate Republicans aim to deliver the legislation to President Trump’s desk ahead of the July 4 deadline.