• Trump White House restored Title X grants to Planned Parenthood in December, Politico reports
• Tens of millions flow again to contraception and cancer-screening programs
• Major pro-life organisations demand hearings, threaten primary challenges

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — Pro-life leaders are reacting with fury to news that the Trump administration quietly restored tens of millions of dollars in Title X family-planning grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates last December, reversing a high-profile suspension that had been touted as a signature pro-life victory during the 2024 campaign.

According to Politico’s Friday scoop, the White House signed off on the payments in mid-December 2025, releasing roughly $68 million in fiscal-year 2025 funds to Planned Parenthood and other grantees after a six-month freeze. The money covers contraception, cancer screenings and STI treatment—but, under long-standing federal rules, cannot be used for abortions.

“This is a betrayal of every pro-life voter who walked a precinct in 2024,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List. “We demand hearings, documents and an immediate freeze until Congress investigates.”

What Title X Actually Pays For

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Title X provides subsidised family-planning services to low-income patients. In 2024, the programme served about 3.8 million people at 3,600 clinics nationwide. Planned Parenthood affiliates received roughly 15% of total funds but served 30% of patients, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Services covered include:

• contraception counselling and devices;
• cervical and breast cancer screenings;
• STI testing and treatment;
• pre-conception health visits.

Since 1987, federal law has barred Title X dollars from paying for abortions. Clinics must physically and financially separate abortion services from Title X activities.

The Suspension — and the Secret Reversal

In April 2025, the White House hailed a “pro-life victory” when HHS suspended all Title X grants, citing an HHS inspector-general report that claimed improper cost-sharing at three Planned Parenthood chapters. The freeze blocked roughly $286 million nationally.

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Pro-life groups cheered; Planned Parenthood sued. A federal judge in California issued a preliminary injunction in September, ordering HHS to release funds, but the administration appealed. Then, without announcement, the White House signed a restoration memo on December 17, 2025, citing “fiscal-year obligations and urgent patient-care needs.”

“We were never informed the freeze was lifted,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, ranking member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. “This looks like classic election-year bait-and-switch.”

December Payments Flow

Treasury disbursement records show:

• Planned Parenthood affiliates: $68 million (Dec. 20, 2025)
• Independent clinics: $142 million (Dec. 21-23, 2025)
• State health departments: $76 million (Dec. 24, 2025)

Clinics used the money to restock contraceptive supplies, recall laid-off staff and restore cervical-cancer screening backlogs that had grown during the six-month freeze.

“We simply restored services that had been denied to low-income patients,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood CEO. “Title X is not abortion funding—it is basic health care.”

Pro-Life Backlash

Major advocacy groups reacted within hours of the Politico story:

• Susan B. Anthony List — demands House Energy & Commerce hearings;
• Students for Life — threatens primary challenges against GOP lawmakers who “look the other way”;
• Family Research Council — calls for defunding HHS Office of Population Affairs (OPA) entirely;
• American Life League — urges executive order barring any Title X funds to Planned Parenthood.

Social media saw #DefundPP trending Friday, with pro-life influencers posting December payment screenshots.

“If Trump can’t hold the line on Planned Parenthood, what’s next?” asked Lila Rose, founder of Live Action.

White House Response

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to confirm the December memo, saying only:

“The administration follows court orders and ensures continuity of health services. We do not comment on leaked documents.”

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a vocal abortion opponent—did not issue a statement. Insiders say he was informed of the restoration only after the fact, highlighting tension between HHS civil-service staff and political appointees.

Congressional Angle

House Republicans have already filed three amendments to the FY-2027 health appropriations bill that would:

1. zero out Title X entirely;
2. bar any funds to Planned Parenthood affiliates;
3. require monthly public reports on grant disbursements.

Senate Democrats vow to block the measures, setting up a partisan showdown this fall.

“We will not let anti-choice extremists use a technicality to strip cancer screenings from millions,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA).

Electoral Fallout

p>Pro-life leaders warn the reversal could suppress evangelical turnout in 2026 mid-terms. A Susan B. Anthony List poll released Friday shows 67% of white evangelical voters “less enthusiastic” about supporting GOP candidates if Title X funds flow to Planned Parenthood.

Trump’s 2024 campaign leaned heavily on pro-life credentials, including appointing three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade. Any perception of backsliding could complicate 2026 Senate races in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

“We delivered the Court; now deliver the defund,” said Ralph Reed, chair of the Faith & Freedom Coalition.

What Happens Next

• House Energy & Commerce will hold a Title X oversight hearing in September;
• HHS Inspector-General has launched a fresh audit of December payments;
• Senate Appropriations will vote on health funding by Thanksgiving;
• Planned Parenthood plans to expand services in Texas and Florida if funds remain secure.

For now, clinics are restocking shelves and rehiring staff—while pro-life groups plot their next move.

Was December’s cash release a pragmatic bow to court orders, or the first crack in Trump’s pro-life armour?

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