The Trump administration plans to immediately freeze $27.5 million in the form of Title X family-planning grants to organizations, including Planned Parenthood, as it determines whether the taxpayer funds have been used for the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported the move Tuesday, citing information from an agency spokesman within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
According to the WSJ, the organizations “that would be subject to the freeze include Planned Parenthood affiliates, the people familiar with the matter said.”
“Altogether, the groups were set to get a total of about $120 million this year,” the report noted.
The Trump administration’s pro-life position has been apparent throughout the federal government, including in HHS.
On March 21, HHS celebrated World Down Syndrome Day, posting to X that the federal agency “celebrate[s] the incredible children and adults with Down syndrome and the families who love and support them.”
“Every life is precious, full of promise, and worthy of protection,” the Trump HHS added. “HHS is committed to supporting these families and ensuring easy access to the care and resources they deserve.”
Today, on #WorldDownSyndromeDay, we celebrate the incredible children and adults with Down syndrome and the families who love and support them. Every life is precious, full of promise, and worthy of protection. HHS is committed to supporting these families and ensuring easy… pic.twitter.com/Cl1JaTz0Yd
— HHS.gov (@HHSGov) March 21, 2025
Planned Parenthood facilities in about a dozen states were to have obtained about $20 million in Title X grants this year. Following the investigation, HHS could decide “to fully rescind the grants or reallocate the money to other organizations,” the WSJ observed.
President Donald Trump signed numerous executive orders that end DEI policies throughout the federal government.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, applauded the administration’s move to investigate Planned Parenthood’s Title X funding.
“I hope it will lead the Administration to permanently redirect the funding to real quality health care options, especially for women,” Smith said in a statement sent to CatholicVote.
“Planned Parenthood, which is ‘Child Abuse, Incorporated,’ dismembers or chemically poisons 1,000 babies every day, killing approximately 10 million innocent children since 1970,” Smith continued. “Yet it is subsidized by nearly $600 million in federal taxpayer dollars each year from multiple programs, including Title X.”
“For too long, politicians and much of the media have ignored, trivialized, and even defended the gross human rights abuses Planned Parenthood commits,” he added. “Title X was established to provide family planning, not subsidize those who perpetrate cruel and inhumane acts against an unborn baby—there is nothing benign or compassionate about killing a defenseless child.”
Alexis McGill-Johnson, CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, reportedly told the WSJ that “[t]he Trump-Vance-Musk administration wants to shut down Planned Parenthood health centers by any means necessary, and they’ll end people’s access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more to do it.”
During the last days of the Biden administration, Planned Parenthood furiously urged the then-Democrat-led Senate to confirm federal judges who would stymie the future Trump administration’s pro-life agenda:
The abortion industry giant also condemned Trump’s recent executive order that begins the dismantling of the Department of Education.
“President Trump and Elon Musk are dismantling our government and our democracy brick by brick, executive order by executive order — with no regard for the consequences,” Planned Parenthood’s press statement said.
With easy access to public school students via “sex education” classes possibly in jeopardy, Planned Parenthood’s vice president of education and training, Dr. Sara Flowers, called Trump’s order to return the making of education policy to states, school districts, and parents “a power grab that will harm students and their futures.”
“Education, including sex education, prepares young people for today’s world and sets them up for success,” Flowers said.
National pro-life leaders also reacted to the WSJ report.
Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood facility director and CEO and foundress of And Then There Were None and ProLove Ministries, said in a statement sent to CatholicVote that the federal government “won’t have to look too hard to find evidence of DEI practices at Planned Parenthood.”
“It’s practically one of their creeds, so stripping that money away should be a small, easy win on behalf of taxpayers,” Johnson asserted. “The money the government would be sending to Planned Parenthood supposedly would have been going to infertility counseling, STD testing, pregnancy tests, and contraception disbursement, all of which have significantly decreased since 2020. In fact, for the last several years, the number of patients at Planned Parenthood have decreased while the taxpayer funding has increased. This makes zero sense.”
BREAKING: Trump admin will freeze Title X family planning grants pending review.
— SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) March 25, 2025
Planned Parenthood ends nearly 400,000 babies' lives a year but receives tens of millions from taxpayer-funded Title X.
Abortion is NOT family planning. Thank you @POTUS & let’s #DefundBigAbortion! https://t.co/jHtwklARvE
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America posted to X: “Planned Parenthood ends nearly 400,000 babies’ lives a year but receives tens of millions from taxpayer-funded Title X. Abortion is NOT family planning.”
As CatholicVote reported Thursday, a coalition of more than 150 national pro-life leaders called upon Congress this week to cut off taxpayer funding to the abortion industry, and Planned Parenthood specifically.
Meanwhile, Democrat-controlled states continue to protect and pad the pockets of the abortion industry giant.
In 2022-2023, US taxpayers handed over nearly $700 million to Planned Parenthood as the abortion vendor earned $2.1 billion for its services.
The WSJ report on the Trump administration’s move to freeze the family planning grants comes a week before the US Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.
The case involves South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s 2018 order directing state health officials to “deem abortion clinics unqualified” to receive funding for abortion-related services.
Planned Parenthood’s South Carolina affiliate and one of its Medicaid clients filed a lawsuit against the order, claiming it violated federal law under Medicaid’s “any qualified provider” terms.