Congress Requests Investigation Into Abortion Funding

Over 100 members of Congress, led by Republican lawmakers, have requested an investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) into federal funding awarded to abortion providers, particularly Planned Parenthood, over the past three years. Their letter emphasizes the need for transparency in taxpayer dollars, referencing a prior GAO report that revealed $1.89 billion in federal funding to such organizations from 2019-2021. Concurrently, the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the second Trump administration plans to defund Planned Parenthood, targeting nearly $300 million in federal support as part of broader fiscal cuts. This initiative is part of a growing consensus among Republicans to defund Planned Parenthood, which has been a long-standing goal since the early 2000s. The Republicans assert that reducing funding would hinder Planned Parenthood's political influence, particularly in pro-abortion campaigns. As Congress prepares for its new session, the scrutiny of abortion-related funding is expected to remain a prominent issue.