California Leaders Must Act:
Future of Abortion Council Rebukes Federal Defund of Planned Parenthood and Other Providers, Threatening Abortion and Reproductive Health Access in the State
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2025
Sacramento, CA – The Trump administration’s de facto back-door abortion ban—contained in the federal reconciliation bill (HR 1)— took effect July 4. HR 1 enacts a targeted attempt to defund Planned Parenthood health centers and some other abortion providers by preventing them from receiving federal reimbursement for all sexual and reproductive health services rendered to patients who rely on Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California). If this attack remains unchecked, California could see more health centers drastically cut their hours and days of operation, reduce staffing, scale back the services they offer, or close altogether.
While Planned Parenthood affiliates, including the seven members in California, have received temporary relief due to a preliminary injunction in federal court, the Trump administration has stated in no uncertain terms that it seeks to overturn the court’s protections. We are already seeing the devastating impacts of this unjust defund, with five Planned Parenthood Mar Monte health centers shuttering their doors just last week. This presents an existential threat to the stability of California’s reproductive health care safety net and endangers access to essential services for countless Californians in urban and rural communities alike.
The California Future of Abortion (FAB) Council leaders released the following statement calling on state leaders to protect access to essential care:
“California’s abortion and family planning safety net faces an unprecedented and existential threat, as the federal administration continues its systematic effort to dismantle our public health infrastructure. The exclusion of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from receiving Medicaid reimbursement—enacted by the Trump administration and its allies in Congress—jeopardizes care for Californians and threatens the very survival of over 100 health centers statewide that provide abortion and other essential reproductive health services. Coupled with the loss of Title X family planning funding, delays and cuts to federal HIV and STI prevention programs, ongoing political attacks, and the expiration of key 2022 state investments to protect abortion access, California’s sexual and reproductive health providers are being pushed to the brink.
California law is clear. Our State Constitution enshrines a fundamental right to abortion and contraception—a constitutional amendment that was voted into law by 67% of California voters. By prohibiting payment for Medicaid services, the Trump administration is attacking reproductive health care access by targeting abortion providers who serve California’s most marginalized patients. For example, 80% of patients who rely on Planned Parenthood health centers in California are enrolled in Medi-Cal, and 90% are low-income (<200% FPL). If health centers are forced to shutter, vast areas of California could lose access to essential health services, despite the state’s protective laws and policies. Californians would also face more difficulty accessing services including family planning, screening and treatment for STIs, birth control, cancer screenings, and sex education.”
The federal defund provision puts California’s promise of being a ‘Reproductive Freedom State’ to the test like never before, and our state’s leaders must rise to affirm California’s commitment and leadership and prevent further clinic closures. Protecting our fragile safety net is not only a moral imperative but a necessary investment in the health, dignity, and rights of millions—and in the future of reproductive freedom in California and nationwide.
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The California Future of Abortion Council (FAB Council) is a project of the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom (CCRF) and works in collaboration with policy makers, researchers, advocates, providers, patients, and key constituents to identify barriers to abortion access in the state and recommend policy solutions to expand equitable access to abortion services for Californians and those seeking care from out of state. Steering Committee organizations include: Access Reproductive Justice, ACLU of Southern California, Black Women for Wellness Action Project, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, California Nurse-Midwives Association, Essential Access Health, National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Reproductive Freedom for All California, and TEACH-Training in Early Abortion for Comprehension Healthcare.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Sylvia Castillo, California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom
[email protected]
July 30, 2025
Sacramento, CA – The Trump administration’s de facto back-door abortion ban—contained in the federal reconciliation bill (HR 1)— took effect July 4. HR 1 enacts a targeted attempt to defund Planned Parenthood health centers and some other abortion providers by preventing them from receiving federal reimbursement for all sexual and reproductive health services rendered to patients who rely on Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California). If this attack remains unchecked, California could see more health centers drastically cut their hours and days of operation, reduce staffing, scale back the services they offer, or close altogether.
While Planned Parenthood affiliates, including the seven members in California, have received temporary relief due to a preliminary injunction in federal court, the Trump administration has stated in no uncertain terms that it seeks to overturn the court’s protections. We are already seeing the devastating impacts of this unjust defund, with five Planned Parenthood Mar Monte health centers shuttering their doors just last week. This presents an existential threat to the stability of California’s reproductive health care safety net and endangers access to essential services for countless Californians in urban and rural communities alike.
The California Future of Abortion (FAB) Council leaders released the following statement calling on state leaders to protect access to essential care:
“California’s abortion and family planning safety net faces an unprecedented and existential threat, as the federal administration continues its systematic effort to dismantle our public health infrastructure. The exclusion of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from receiving Medicaid reimbursement—enacted by the Trump administration and its allies in Congress—jeopardizes care for Californians and threatens the very survival of over 100 health centers statewide that provide abortion and other essential reproductive health services. Coupled with the loss of Title X family planning funding, delays and cuts to federal HIV and STI prevention programs, ongoing political attacks, and the expiration of key 2022 state investments to protect abortion access, California’s sexual and reproductive health providers are being pushed to the brink.
California law is clear. Our State Constitution enshrines a fundamental right to abortion and contraception—a constitutional amendment that was voted into law by 67% of California voters. By prohibiting payment for Medicaid services, the Trump administration is attacking reproductive health care access by targeting abortion providers who serve California’s most marginalized patients. For example, 80% of patients who rely on Planned Parenthood health centers in California are enrolled in Medi-Cal, and 90% are low-income (<200% FPL). If health centers are forced to shutter, vast areas of California could lose access to essential health services, despite the state’s protective laws and policies. Californians would also face more difficulty accessing services including family planning, screening and treatment for STIs, birth control, cancer screenings, and sex education.”
The federal defund provision puts California’s promise of being a ‘Reproductive Freedom State’ to the test like never before, and our state’s leaders must rise to affirm California’s commitment and leadership and prevent further clinic closures. Protecting our fragile safety net is not only a moral imperative but a necessary investment in the health, dignity, and rights of millions—and in the future of reproductive freedom in California and nationwide.
###
The California Future of Abortion Council (FAB Council) is a project of the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom (CCRF) and works in collaboration with policy makers, researchers, advocates, providers, patients, and key constituents to identify barriers to abortion access in the state and recommend policy solutions to expand equitable access to abortion services for Californians and those seeking care from out of state. Steering Committee organizations include: Access Reproductive Justice, ACLU of Southern California, Black Women for Wellness Action Project, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, California Nurse-Midwives Association, Essential Access Health, National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Reproductive Freedom for All California, and TEACH-Training in Early Abortion for Comprehension Healthcare.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Sylvia Castillo, California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom
[email protected]
