Republicans Discuss Potential 4th Reconciliation Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood
House Speaker Mike Johnson is advancing plans for a potential fourth budget reconciliation package that could block Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood, after a one-year restriction expired earlier this month and taxpayer funds began flowing again to the nation’s largest abortion business.
The temporary ban, enacted in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, prohibited Planned Parenthood clinics from receiving federal Medicaid payments.
It lapsed around July 4–5, 2026, restoring an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in annual reimbursements. Pro-life advocates had pushed for a longer or permanent prohibition, but Senate rules limited the measure to one year.
Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com
Leading pro-life groups were unable to extend the restriction in subsequent reconciliation efforts because Republicans focused on immigration and other priorities.
On July 22, the House narrowly approved a $95 billion budget resolution framework for reconciliation 3.0 by a 216-214 vote. That package directs funding toward national defense, agricultural aid, and election-integrity incentives but omits any renewal of the Planned Parenthood funding ban.
Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington have indicated that a fourth reconciliation bill remains under discussion to address priorities left out of the third package, including defunding Planned Parenthood. While some pro-life lawmakers see it as a realistic vehicle, budget experts note procedural challenges under Senate rules that generally limit reconciliation opportunities per budget cycle.
No fourth bill has yet been formally introduced.
Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue and co-founder of the Center for Medical Progress, issued a strong statement of frustration and a call to action:
“I remain outraged – and I know you do too,” saying that Republicans in Congress ” continue to refuse to defund Planned Parenthood in the reconciliation bill or any meaningful legislation. The temporary ban has lapsed, and taxpayer blood money is pouring back into the abortion industry once more.“
“There is still time to pressure Congress to take away blood money from Planned Parenthood before it is too late. Call Congress right away at (202) 224-3121. Urge your Senators and Representative: Remove all taxpayer funding from Planned Parenthood in the reconciliation bill immediately! End the slaughter funded by our taxes while foreign wars get blank checks. Stand for life!”
Pro-life groups continue pressing Republican leadership to prioritize a lasting cutoff of taxpayer support for Planned Parenthood, arguing that the temporary measure already demonstrated the impact of restricting funds and that further delay allows the organization to resume receiving public dollars while performing hundreds of thousands of abortions annually. Any fourth reconciliation effort would still need to clear both the House and Senate.
