Mike Johnson Aims to Defund PBS, Planned Parenthood

House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed a desire to cut federal funding for both Planned Parenthood and PBS, indicating these organizations are targets for reducing government spending. In an interview with Fox News, Johnson noted that while he supports defunding, achieving this will require building consensus within Congress, which may present challenges given the narrow Republican majority. He suggested that some changes could be implemented through executive orders from President-elect Trump, who has a history of proposing similar cuts. Johnson emphasized the need for a broader effort to downsize the government, promoting a vision of limited government and individual freedom. Planned Parenthood, which performed over 374,000 abortions from 2021 to 2022 while receiving significant federal funding, has long been criticized by conservatives. The push to defund these organizations reflects ongoing Republican efforts to reshape government spending priorities in the upcoming administration.