The Trump administration has quietly restored tens of millions of dollars in federal Title X funding to Planned Parenthood-affiliated organizations, a move that has drawn criticism from pro-life leaders despite the administration’s broader efforts to restrict taxpayer support for abortion.
According to LifeSiteNews, the funding restoration followed a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s earlier decision to freeze $120 million in Title X “family planning” grants. The freeze, enacted last year, applied to organizations suspected of failing to comply with executive orders related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. While the policy did not single out abortion providers, it affected approximately $20 million in grants received by Planned Parenthood locations in roughly a dozen states.
The lawsuit was brought by abortion advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union. Politico reported, and LifeSiteNews confirmed, that the ACLU later withdrew its legal action after the Trump administration restored the disputed funds. In a December 19 court filing, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that “the review is completed, and all grants at issue for Plaintiff’s members have been restored […] this matter can be voluntarily dismissed in light of the restoration of the remaining grants,” according to LifeSiteNews.
Abortion advocates claimed the funding freeze caused significant disruption. Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project, said, “More than 800 service sites were unable to provide Title X services. Hundreds of thousands of patients were unable to get Title X services. So the impact was tremendous,” adding that “damage certainly was done as a result of their unlawful withholding of the funds,” according to LifeSiteNews.
While the restored funding has sparked backlash among pro-life Catholics, the administration maintains that its core pro-life policies remain in place. LifeSiteNews reports that President Donald Trump reinstated enforcement of the Hyde Amendment shortly after returning to office, barring direct federal funding for most abortions. He also reinstated the Mexico City Policy and froze millions of dollars in U.S. Agency for International Development spending tied to abortion-related activities abroad.
In July, Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes a one-year ban on federal Medicaid dollars going to organizations that perform abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or claimed threats to the mother’s life, according to LifeSiteNews. These measures have reportedly affected Planned Parenthood’s finances, with Operation Rescue documenting the closure of 54 abortion facilities in 2024, including 36 Planned Parenthood locations.
However, tensions within the pro-life movement intensified after Trump told House Republicans that “you’ve got to be a little flexible on Hyde” during negotiations over healthcare reform, LifeSiteNews reported. The comment raised alarms among pro-life leaders, who view the Hyde Amendment as a foundational moral safeguard against taxpayer-funded abortion.
The following day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied any change in policy, emphasizing the administration’s opposition to abortion funding, though she did not explicitly rule out compromise during healthcare negotiations, according to LifeSiteNews.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson sought to reassure pro-life voters, stating, “we are not going to change the standard that we’re not going to use taxpayer funding for abortion. I’m not going to allow that to happen,” as cited by LifeSiteNews.
As negotiations continue over renewing expired Affordable Care Act subsidies, abortion funding remains a key point of contention. For many Catholics committed to defending the dignity of human life, the partial funding restoration underscores the need for vigilance, prayer, and continued advocacy in the public square.
According to LifeSiteNews, the controversy remains unresolved, even as the administration insists its overall record reflects strong opposition to taxpayer-funded abortion.
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