Senate bill allowed to ‘defund' Planned Parenthood
The ruling from Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough comes after Senate Republicans updated the provision late Friday night to change the timing of the 'defunding' from 10 years to one year.
The bill's language doesn't specifically mention Planned Parenthood; it prohibits clinics and providers that offer abortions from accepting Medicaid for the other family planning and reproductive health care services they provide.
But Planned Parenthood is the only organization that it applies to.
The provision is estimated to cost taxpayers $52 million over the next 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
'Republicans just got the green light to proceed with their destructive effort to defund Planned Parenthood health centers across the country—a crushing blow to the millions of women across America who rely on Planned Parenthood clinics for basic reproductive care,' Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in a statement.
'Republicans' last-minute changes to shorten the timeline of this provision hardly matter—once health clinics lose funding and are forced to close their doors, they are unlikely to reopen again,' she added.
The inclusion of the provision is a major victory for conservatives, who have long sought to cut off federal funding for the organization. But it could make it more difficult for on-the-fence Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to vote for the bill, as both have expressed support for abortion rights.
Planned Parenthood has said losing Medicaid funding would put at least 200 health centers across the country at risk of closure — 90 percent of them in states where abortion is legal. More than 1 million low-income people would lose access to a health care provider.
It follows a Supreme Court ruling last week that paves the way for red states to deny funding to Planned Parenthood.
Medicaid is prohibited from paying for almost all abortions, but states want to cut government funding for other services Planned Parenthood provides as well. If the bill were to pass, the policy would be national.
'Republicans will stop at nothing in their crusade to take control of women's bodies and deny them the right to make their own health care decisions,' Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said in a joint statement. 'Republicans are trampling the law to force their extremist ideology onto the American people.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
21 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Kathy Hochul's Chances of Losing New York Governor Election: Polls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Governor of New York Kathy Hochul is up for reelection in 2026, and a new poll has found that she is leading a hypothetical primary race and hypothetical general elections, despite the majority of voters saying they want a new governor. A poll taken by the Siena College Research Institute of 800 New York State voters between June 23-26 found that 49 percent of Democratic voters would vote for Hochul in a primary between her, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, and Congressman Ritchie Torres. When asked whether they would want to re-elect Hochul or vote for someone else, 55 percent of people said "someone else." However, when pitted against hypothetical Republican candidates, Hochul polled ahead of her opponents. Governor Hochul has been contacted for comment via email. New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Thursday, June 12, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Thursday, June 12, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo Why It Matters Opinions on Hochul largely fall along partisan lines, with 69 percent of Democrats approving of her, but only 18 percent of Republicans sharing the same view. This is likely due to her fighting the Trump administration on New York City's congestion pricing plan and on immigration. Hochul's race comes at a tumultuous time in New York Democratic politics. She is yet to endorse Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, distancing herself from his democratic-socialist stance and his opinions on Israel. What To Know The Sienna poll for a Democratic primary put Hochul against Delgado and Torres. Torres has not officially announced his candidacy for governor yet, and has said he would not run if Mamdani wins the mayoral race. Delgado was appointed by Hochul to his position in 2022, but is now primarying his boss. He did not name Hochul in his announcement, saying: "Listen, the powerful and well-connected have their champions. I'm running for governor to be yours." The Republican race is currently being won, per the same Sienna poll, by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. Elise Stefanik leaving a House Republican Conference meeting with President Donald Trump on the budget reconciliation bill in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Elise Stefanik leaving a House Republican Conference meeting with President Donald Trump on the budget reconciliation bill in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images Stefanik was originally President Donald Trump's pick to be Ambassador to the United Nations, but her nomination was pulled. She has raised millions for a gubernatorial run but has yet to make a formal announcement that she will be joining the race. Per the poll, she leads a Republican primary against Mike Lawler and Bruce Blakeman by 35 percent to Lawler's 18 percent and Blakeman's 7 percent. But, she loses a general election to Hochul by 24 points to Hochul's 47 points. What People Are Saying Elise Stefanik posted on X (formerly Twitter) about a fundraiser in New York: "I ask you all today to join us in this effort to SAVE NEW YORK and fire Kathy Hochul in 2026. This is about the people of New York. And it's going to take fighters all across this state to get this done." Kathy Hochul for Governor site: "As Governor, Kathy has taken decisive action to deliver immediate relief to working and middle class families and small businesses, beat back the pandemic, and accelerate New York's economic recovery. In addition, she has reaffirmed New York's position as a national leader in defending reproductive rights and in combating climate change." What Happens Next The New York gubernatorial race is not until 2026. According to the poll, 43 percent of people do not know, or have no opinion on, Stefanik, meaning that as more people get to know her, the polls will likely move.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Solar Firms Surge as Senate Drops Excise Tax From Trump Bill
(Bloomberg) -- Shares for solar companies rose on Tuesday on the Senate's decision to remove an excise tax on wind and solar projects from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill. Struggling Downtowns Are Looking to Lure New Crowds Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares Sprawl Is Still Not the Answer Shares in Sunrun Inc. were up about 11%, Enphase Energy Inc. was up about 4% and Solaredge Technologies Inc. were up 9% at around 12:49 p.m. in New York after news reports on the change. The Senate passed the $3.3 trillion bill on Tuesday after making the last-minute change and other modifications meant to mollify some Republicans. The measure spiked a previously proposed excise tax on wind and solar projects that contained a certain threshold of components made in China, Senator James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, told reporters Tuesday. That proposed tax, which had been tucked into the Senate bill unveiled days ago, was supported by some US manufacturers who said the country needs to urgently wean clean energy supply chains off China. But it had sparked alarm from renewable developers who said it could hike costs for wind farms and solar arrays that still rely on some foreign components and supply chains dominated by Beijing. Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, hailed the removal of the excise tax in a post on X ahead of passage. The bill would still phase out subsidies for wind and solar projects placed in service after December 31, 2027; some Republicans had made a last-ditch push to ease the credit cutoff. The various iterations of Trump's tax and spending package have whipsawed much of the renewable energy industry — and, with it, shares of developers, installers and manufacturers. The proposed addition over the weekend of the tax on some wind and solar projects stunned the industry, prompting shares to slide Monday. But now, with the excise tax's removal, shares popped on a day that would otherwise have threatened the pace of the growth of renewable energy in the US. Clean energy trade groups had warned that without changes, Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' would have threatened some wind farms and solar arrays already under construction. The changes weren't enough to satisfy renewable developers who on Tuesday said the Senate-passed bill still poses a major threat to the industry. 'Despite limited improvements, this legislation undermines the very foundation of America's manufacturing comeback and global energy leadership. If this bill becomes law, families will face higher electric bills, factories will shut down, Americans will lose their jobs, and our electric grid will grow weaker,' Abigail Ross Hopper, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement. --With assistance from Erik Wasson. America's Top Consumer-Sentiment Economist Is Worried How to Steal a House SNAP Cuts in Big Tax Bill Will Hit a Lot of Trump Voters Too China's Homegrown Jewelry Superstar Pistachios Are Everywhere Right Now, Not Just in Dubai Chocolate ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
22 minutes ago
- Associated Press
US judge says HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation's health workforce. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose in Rhode Island granted the preliminary injunction sought by a coalition of attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit filed in early May. DuBose said the states had shown 'irreparable harm,' from the cuts and were likely to prevail in their claims that the 'HHS's action was both arbitrary and capricious as well as contrary to law.' 'The executive branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress,' DuBose wrote in a 58-page order handed down in U.S. district court of Rhode Island. Her order blocks the Trump administration from finalizing layoffs announced in March or issuing any further firings. HHS is directed to file a status report by July 11. The ruling applies to terminated employees in four different divisions of HHS — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Center for Tobacco Products within the Food and Drug Administration; the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families and employees of regional offices who work on Head Start matters; and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eliminated more than 10,000 employees in late March and consolidated 28 agencies to just 15. Combined with previous layoffs by President Donald Trump's administration, about a quarter of the agency's workforce has been slashed, according to the lawsuit. The attorneys general argued that the massive restructuring was arbitrary and outside of the scope of the agency's authority. The lawsuit also says the action decimated essential programs and pushed burdensome costs onto states. 'The intended effect … was the wholesale elimination of many HHS programs that are critical to public health and safety,' the lawsuit argued. The cuts are part of a federal 'Make America Healthy Again' directive to streamline costly agencies and reduce redundancies. Kennedy told senators at a May 14 hearing that there is 'so much chaos and disorganization' at HHS. But the restructuring has eliminated key teams that regulate food safety and drugs, as well as support a wide range of programs for tobacco, HIV prevention and maternal and infant health. Kennedy has since said that because of mistakes, 20% of people fired might be reinstated. The states who joined the lawsuit have Democratic governors, and many of the same states — plus a few others — also sued the Trump administration over $11 billion in cuts to public health funding. A preliminary injunction was granted in that case in mid-May. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
