June 11, 2025
Students for Life Action’s (SFLAction) efforts to defund nearly all of Planned Parenthood’s budget — redirecting the nearly $800 million in taxpayer funding that goes to the nation’s largest abortion vendor and all other such deadly “businesses” to real healthcare providers—could be blocked by a career bureaucrat, if recent reporting can be believed.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune reportedly said that he may allow a Democratic Party appointee to the U.S. Senate advisory staff – Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough – to make the final call on what can stay in the “Big, Beautiful” Budget Bill.
In fact, Sen. Thune told Politico that he has no intention of overruling her advice on what can stay or what must go in the bill, stating: “We’re not going there.”
So, who holds millions of our dollars in her hands? MacDonough was appointed by Democrat Harry Reid in 2012 to advise the Senate on the interpretation of its rules and procedures, including what legislation qualifies for budget reconciliation. And her judgment in this area has already been proven to be poor.
MacDonough blocked pro-life efforts in 2017 to direct funds away from Planned Parenthood, claiming that cutting its taxpayer funding violated the “Byrd Rule.”
This rule limits what can go into a budget reconciliation bill, saying every provision must directly impact federal spending or revenue. If MacDonough decides something doesn’t count as related to the budget, she can recommend it be removed. Her judgment would outrank the views of millions of voters who sent President Trump to the White House and elected majorities in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to make the tough decisions.
But because the GOP hold all three branches of government in the nation’s capital, it’s possible to prioritize life-saving healthcare. We don’t have to keep wasting money on those whose primary money makers are sterilizing “treatments” for minors and intentional abortion.
If your “healthcare” kills or sterilizes people on purpose, you’re doing it wrong.
But perhaps one reason taxpayers are on the hook for so much support to abortion vendors is that Planned Parenthood and Co’ aggressive lobbying and political operation has made a friend of those on the left.
Consider that Planned Parenthood Action spent “a record-breaking $69.5 million investment during the election cycle.” Democratic Party support for Big Abortion has really paid off at election time.
But that leads us to a question that SFLA’s President Kristan Hawkins asked the GOP and now President Trump in an opinion piece during the campaign: Mr. President, why are you funding your political enemies?
She wrote: “President Trump’s political enemies, including Big Abortion Pharma and Planned Parenthood, have long gone after Republicans with the same viciousness they employ against innocent life in the womb. Their aggressive election and lobbying operations net scores of Democratic political victories and serious cash, and their political friends haven’t been shy with U.S. taxpayers’ money. Mr. Trump, it’s time to defund your political enemies.”
We have a unique chance to kick Planned Parenthood off the payroll. Budget reconciliation bills, like the “Big, Beautiful” Budget Bill, only need a simple majority to pass and avoid Senate filibusters, allowing them to pass with just 51 votes instead of the usual 60.
That responsibility to get the job done remains with the GOP, no matter what MacDonough says.
And thankfully, GOP Leadership has the authority to override her decision and to stop using the Parliamentarian as an excuse. It’s in GOP hands to take responsibility for ending the massive support abortion vendors have enjoyed.
How massive? Family Research Council’s (FRC) “Direct Deposit to Planned Parenthood” report in 2022 noted that since 1993, Planned Parenthood has raked in $10.35 BILLION in total taxpayer funding. And they’ve taken in more since then, reporting nearly $700M in 2023 and nearly $800M in 2025.
The Pro-Life Generation (PLG) demands courage from elected officials to prioritize saving preborn lives over bureaucratic roadblocks.
Pro-life voters elected Republican majorities to act boldly, and we will not let unelected officials like the Senate Parliamentarian dictate outcomes without a fight.
SFLAction is rallying supporters to call on GOP leadership to put life-saving healthcare provider first. through our Defund Planned Parenthood Month of Mobilization.
In addition, we’ll keep pressing Sen. Thune to ditch the Senate Parliamentarian detour and take the express lane to ending support of abortion vendors hidden in vital healthcare programs.
We are asking Senator Thune and GOP leadership to confront the abortion lobby head-on and deliver real results, and for the House and Senate to work together to get a “Big, Beautiful” Budget Bill to President Trump’s desk that provides healthcare for both mother and child. It’s time for Planned Parenthood to go fund themselves.