Press releases

“Taxpayer dollars should protect and improve life, not snuff it out. Louisianians understand that abortion providers often offer inadequate care for vulnerable women, while killing the unborn for profit. I’m thankful to work with Sen. Lankford and our colleagues to ensure that states aren’t forced to fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) in introducing the Women’s Public Health and Safety Act, which gives states the authority to exclude abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds.

“Taxpayer dollars should protect and improve life, not snuff it out. Louisianians understand that abortion providers often offer inadequate care for vulnerable women, while killing the unborn for profit. I’m thankful to work with Sen. Lankford and our colleagues to ensure that states aren’t forced to fund abortion providers like Planned Parenthood,” said Kennedy.

“Abortion isn’t healthcare and taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to support the largest abortion-providers in the country under the guise of women’s healthcare. This bill allows states to ensure that tax dollars support the thousands of health care providers without the worry that tax dollars will also contribute to abortion services at organizations like Planned Parenthood. We can simultaneously stand for the unborn while also supporting fundamental, quality health services for women everywhere,” said Lankford.

Under current law, states are required to allow any qualified provider to participate in a state’s Medicaid system. A non-partisan Government Accountability Office report revealed that Planned Parenthood received $1.2 billion in Medicaid reimbursements over a three-year period, accounting for 80 percent of the abortion provider’s joint federal-state funding stream.

Kennedy and Lankford were joined in introducing the bill by Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Crapo (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) has introduced identical legislation in the House of Representatives.