Pro-life groups that urged the Trump administration to completely defund Planned Parenthood are not happy that millions of taxpayer dollars have been restored to the organization.
The controversy erupted after reports that the Department of Health and Human Services quietly released tens of millions of dollars in Title X family planning funds that had been withheld from Planned Parenthood and other clinics since last spring.
The move prompted the American Civil Liberties Union to drop its lawsuit against the administration, after the government indicated the review was completed and the grants were restored.
President Donald Trump, however, publicly distanced himself from the decision Wednesday, telling reporters he was unaware of any such restoration.
"I don't know anything about that," Trump said.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also told reporters he had not heard about it, adding to questions about how and why the funding was released with little public explanation.
Under Title X, clinics can receive federal reimbursement for services such as contraception, pregnancy testing, and screening for sexually transmitted infections.
The funds are not supposed to pay for abortions under the Hyde Amendment.
But pro-life advocates argue that any government support ultimately subsidizes Planned Parenthood's broader operation, freeing up resources for the abortion business and keeping the nation's largest abortion provider entrenched.
Live Action founder Lila Rose blasted the development, saying the administration "quietly restored" millions in Title X grants and insisting Planned Parenthood must be fully defunded, EWTN News reported.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America echoed that concern, urging the administration to reinstate the "Protect Life Rule" from Trump's first term, which restricted Title X recipients from being tied to abortion referrals and facilities — a change that effectively pushed many abortion-linked providers out of the program before the Biden administration reversed it.
Politico reported that the funds had been withheld because of "possible violations" of federal civil rights law and Trump executive orders, including concerns about DEI-style policies and whether programs were structured in ways that encouraged care for illegal aliens.
Clinics under investigation reportedly submitted documents defending their practices, and some had funding restored earlier, while others remained frozen until December.
The restoration gives Planned Parenthood what allies describe as a "lifeline," even as the administration continues defending larger, congressionally approved cuts to the organization's federal Medicaid funding.
Still, the Title X reversal is likely to inflame tensions with the pro-life base ahead of the March for Life later this month in Washington, where activists are expected to demand permanent defunding and tougher safeguards around chemical abortion.
For pro-lifers, the anger is straightforward: Even if Title X dollars are technically walled off from abortion procedures, Planned Parenthood's business model depends on public support and political protection.
They argue that restoring funding, especially quietly, sends the wrong signal at a moment when the movement expected the administration to press harder, not retreat.
The White House and HHS have yet to provide a detailed public justification for the release, leaving both supporters and critics to wonder who signed off, and whether the administration is preparing a more aggressive policy shift, or simply trying to avoid another costly legal fight.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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