Applaud House Democrats for Defending Reproductive Care

We applaud the more than 150 House Democrats who have taken a bold and principled stand in defense of reproductive health care access by demanding the immediate restoration of frozen Title X funds.

Led by Representatives Judy Chu, Diana DeGette, Ayanna Pressley, Teresa Leger Fernández, Lizzie Fletcher, Sharice Davids, and Nikema Williams, this powerful coalition sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on April 3, condemning the Trump administration’s freeze of millions of dollars in Title X funding. Their action is a critical defense of health care for millions of low-income and marginalized people.

Title X is the only federal program dedicated exclusively to family planning services. It provides life-saving and life-changing care — from birth control and cancer screenings to STI testing and basic preventive services. For many people, especially women of color, rural residents, and those without insurance, Title X clinics are the only health care providers they see all year.

The decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to withhold funding from 16 organizations — including Planned Parenthood affiliates — jeopardizes health care access for up to 1.25 million people. It is particularly egregious that this action is reportedly tied to clinics’ support for diversity, equity, and inclusion — principles that ensure care reaches those who need it most.

In their letter, these lawmakers rightfully noted that Title X has enjoyed decades of bipartisan support — signed into law by President Nixon and championed by then-Congressman George H.W. Bush — and has long stood as a cornerstone of equitable health care.

We are grateful for the leadership and moral clarity of every member of Congress who signed this letter. Their advocacy sends a clear message: our health care is not up for political games, and our right to access care must not be sacrificed to ideological attacks.

Restoring Title X funding isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a matter of public health, human dignity, and economic justice. Thank you to these lawmakers for standing up and fighting back.