STATEHOUSE (May 19, 2025) – State Rep. Joanna King (R-Middlebury) along with over 180 pro-life legislators from 49 states sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to stop the flow of American tax dollars toward the abortion industry.
The letter urges Republicans to include a measure defunding Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in the budget reconciliation bill.
"De-funding abortion businesses would save hundreds of thousands of innocent lives each year," King said. "I am deeply concerned about the amount of federal tax dollars that continue to prop up the abortion industry. Instead, I think it's important to care and support these women and children to help them succeed. Indiana is a leader in pro-life policy and protecting our most vulnerable and I will continue to champion these efforts."
In 2022, King sponsored Indiana's law banning abortions except in rare cases of rape, incest, life of the mother or fetal anomaly. Since that law's passage, abortions in Indiana have declined by 98 percent according to recent data from the Indiana Department of Health. According to Americans United for Life, Indiana is the 5th most pro-life state in the nation for 2024.
The letter reads in part:
“As pro-life legislators from across the country who are members of the National Pro-Life Leaders Network, we are deeply concerned with the way that Big Abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood prey on unborn children and hurt women, all while receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from American taxpayers. With a Republican trifecta in Washington, it is time to use the budget reconciliation process to defund Big Abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. We urge you to include language in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Finance Committee Budget Reconciliation bills to defund these bad actors.
“Many of our states have already acted to stop state Medicaid dollars from going to Big Abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood. It is time for Congress to stop federal Medicaid dollars from going to Big Abortion.”
According to their 2022-23 annual report, Planned Parenthood alone performed 400,000 abortions and received almost $700 million in taxpayer funds, which is nearly $2 million a day. At the same time, Planned Parenthood has decreased its non-abortion services to women. Since 2010, taxpayer funding has increased 43% while cancer screenings, breast exams and pap smears have all fallen by more than 70%. Planned Parenthood’s contraception services are also down by 39%.
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State Rep. Joanna King (R-Middlebury) represents House District 49,
which includes a portion of Elkhart County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
