Planned Parenthood, Citing ‘Political Warfare,’ To Shutter Last Remaining Offices in Louisiana

Planned Parenthood is winding down its operations for the entire state of Louisiana following a series of efforts by the Trump administration to cut off federal funding to the provider.In a statement, the president of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Melaney Linton, said that the organization will be closing its two clinics in the state by September 30.“This is not a decision we wanted to make; it is one we were forced into by political warfare,” Ms. Linton said. “We are not the first Planned Parenthood affiliate to face this reality, and we will not be the last.”The decision comes weeks after Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast said it would close two clinics at Houston and transfer the other four clinics it operated in Texas to Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas.President Trump and Republicans in Congress are fighting to cut off funds to Planned Parenthood, long a target of conservatives due to its abortion services. However, a federal judge, Indira Talwani, blocked a portion of the One Big Beautiful Bill that would have cut off federal funds from abortion providers that received more than $800,000 from Medicaid, which would have included Planned Parenthood.Judge Talwani last month issued a preliminary injunction requiring the federal government to continue Medicaid funding to all Planned Parenthood locations, as she said the provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill targeting abortion providers was unconstitutional as it was essentially a “bill of attainder.”She said “patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted or unavailable” and that “restricting Members’ ability to provide healthcare services threatens an increase in unintended pregnancies and attendant complications because of reduced access to effective contraceptives, and an increase in undiagnosed and untreated STIs.”The bill does not specifically mention Planned Parenthood, though the organization alleges it was the primary target. Although the provision cutting off Medicaid funds has been blocked, Ms. Linton said in her statement that the decision to shutter operations in Louisiana is a “direct result of relentless political assaults.”A spokeswoman for the organization told Axios Louisiana that it provided low-cost and no-cost services to more than 10,000 patients in Louisiana over the last year, including 655 ultrasounds and 1,795 cancer screenings. Planned Parenthood has warned against cutting off federal funding, saying it would be “catastrophic in communities nationwide” and would make it harder for Americans to access health care. In recent months, more than 40 Planned Parenthood clinics have closed or announced plans to close. The president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Marjorie Dannenfelser, told the Federalist that Planned Parenthood has “been offered a path to keep their funding by dropping abortions, but they refuse.”“Meanwhile, they have no monopoly on health, as women already go to community health centers that provide much more comprehensive care and are more accessible, outnumbering Planned Parenthoods 15:1 nationwide,” she said.As Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast touted the other services it offered in Louisiana, a think tank associated with the Susan B. Anthony List, the Charlotte Lozier Institute, reported that since 2013, Planned Parenthood nationally has seen a 54 percent decrease in the number of preventative screenings performed. Additionally, prenatal services have dropped 63 percent. During the same period, the think tank says there has been a 23 percent increase in the number of abortions performed.While Planned Parenthood warns of catastrophe, Republicans in Louisiana — where abortion is prohibited in most cases — are celebrating the news. The state’s governor, Jeff Landry, said in a post on X, “This is a major win for the pro-life movement here in Louisiana. I have fought hard as Attorney General and now as Governor to rid our state of this failed organization.”Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, wrote on X, “This is welcome news. Planned Parenthood built its business around promoting death. Louisiana chooses life. We will always protect women and babies.”The news comes as Louisiana officials are trying to crack down on the shipment of abortion-inducing medication from states where abortion is allowed. Mr. Landry signed an extradition warrant for a New York-based doctor, Margaret Carpenter, for allegedly mailing abortion medication to a minor.New York officials have, however, declined to honor the request, citing the state’s shield laws. The case is seen as part of an effort to get the Supreme Court to weigh in on the constitutionality of shield laws, which protect abortion providers from criminal or civil investigations and penalties from other states. Last week, Ms. Murrill and 15 other attorneys general sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to ban shield laws. Louisiana will join North Dakota, Mississippi, and Wyoming in having no Planned Parenthood facilities.

Planned Parenthood, Citing ‘Political Warfare,’ To Shutter Last Remaining Offices in Louisiana

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