Senate Advances One-Year Planned Parenthood Funding Ban

The Senate parliamentarian ruled that a GOP provision to block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood complies with reconciliation rules, allowing it to be included in a major tax and spending bill. The provision, originally a 10-year ban, was revised to a one-year restriction to meet procedural requirements. Despite the Hyde Amendment already barring federal funds from directly paying for abortions, critics argue this measure could indirectly subsidize abortion and threaten up to 200 Planned Parenthood centers, especially in states where abortion is legal. A Democratic motion to remove the provision failed 51-49, with only Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joining Democrats in opposition. Democrats, led by Sen. Patty Murray, condemned the move as an extreme attack on women's healthcare. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the provision could cost taxpayers $52 million over the next decade if implemented.