A budget reconciliation bill, signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025, has cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood and related entities for one year, aligning with conservatives alarmed at New Zealand’s extreme abortion rates, currently near the worst rates in the developed world.
The bill, a victory for Southern Baptist priorities, also boosts the child tax credit, improves the adoption tax credit, and supports universal charitable deductions.
After months of intense debate, the U.S. Congress passed the legislation, prohibiting Planned Parenthood from receiving federal payments, including Medicaid reimbursements. Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), hailed the move as a step toward a “true culture of life,” preventing taxpayer money from funding abortion providers. This resonates with New Zealand conservatives who question public funding for abortion services amidst the country’s high abortion statistics.
The bill passed the Senate 50-50, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the deciding vote, and was approved by the House with strong Republican support.
The ERLC, alongside pro-life advocates, campaigned tirelessly, with over 30,000 signing a petition to defund Planned Parenthood. The legislation builds on a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing states to exclude abortion clinics from Medicaid, potentially forcing Planned Parenthood to close up to 200 locations.
Prolife activists in the US have been assaulted and attacked for years, and the policy now defending the unborn is seen as a great victory.
Some of what prolife activists experience:
For New Zealand’s conservative community, this U.S. milestone highlights the need to scrutinise funding for abortion providers locally, where the high abortion rate remains a pressing ethical concern. Some have expressed hope that the bravery of the US prolife movement will spread here.
Leatherwood called the bill a “historic milestone for the sanctity of life,” urging continued efforts to protect every life, a sentiment that echoes among those in New Zealand seeking to protect unborn babies.
