Senators Murkowski, Collins Oppose House Bill Defunding Planned Parenthood

Key Republicans in the Senate, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, have expressed strong opposition to a House reconciliation bill provision that would bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds, highlighting concerns over the impact on rural and underserved areas. This opposition poses a significant hurdle for the bill, which includes efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, an organization that received nearly $800 million in taxpayer funding last year, a figure that has increased and is a focal point of the ongoing budget negotiations. The House is debating whether to keep or remove this defunding language in the 2026 budget, with pro-life advocates pushing hard for its inclusion, citing Planned Parenthood’s abortion services and its growing government funding. Speaker Mike Johnson has emphasized the GOP’s commitment to ending federal funding of abortion providers and highlighted public support for this stance amid complex negotiations involving other contentious issues like tax reforms and Medicaid. Meanwhile, reproductive rights groups face a precarious funding landscape as philanthropic support fluctuates amid political and legal challenges, and federal policies under the current administration have introduced additional restrictions impacting reproductive health services. The debate over funding Planned Parenthood remains a pivotal and divisive issue that could shape the final form of the budget reconciliation package.