This fight isn’t just about Planned Parenthood. It’s about whether patients — especially those in rural or underserved areas — get to make their own health care decisions.

While advocates focused on Planned Parenthood, the bill did not mention it by name. Instead, it cut off reimbursements for organizations that are primarily engaged in family planning services — which generally include things such as contraception, abortion and pregnancy tests — and received more than $800,000 from Medicaid in 2023.

By Planned Parenthood’s own admission, it could potentially result in the closure of 200 abortion clinics. Planned Parenthood is denouncing the defunding as a “ backdoor abortion ban. ”

Congressional Republicans appear divided in the fight to defund Planned Parenthood. As reported by News of the United States, several centrist Republicans “oppose adding a measure to cut federal ...