Overview

• Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled the provision blocking Medicaid funding to any abortion provider complies with the Byrd Rule and can remain in the package.
• Senate Republicans shortened the defunding period from ten years to one after her guidance, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates the provision will cost taxpayers $52 million over the next decade.
• Planned Parenthood projects that losing Medicaid reimbursements could shutter at least 200 of its health centers and cut off care for over 1 million low-income patients seeking contraception, cancer screenings and STI treatments.
• The inclusion follows last week’s Supreme Court decision affirming that states may exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid funding.
• Moderate GOP senators including Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski face pressure over whether to back the bill ahead of expected early-July votes.