“DOGE will help end federal overspending by taking aim at the $500 billion plus in annual federal expenditures that are unauthorized by Congress or being used in ways that Congress never intended, from $535 million a year to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $1.5 billion for grants to international organizations to nearly $300 million to progressive groups like Planned Parenthood,” wrote Musk and Ramaswamy.

Planned Parenthood received $699.3 million in taxpayer funding fiscal year and carried out 392,712 abortions in its 2022-2023 fiscal year, according to its most recent annual report.

Taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood surged $65.9 million since President Joe Biden took office in 2021, even as inflation and a slow economic recovery from the artificial COVID-19 shutdowns eroded Americans’ real income.

Some of Planned Parenthood’s spending has been blatantly political. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Planned Parenthood announced plans to spend $140 million on supporting Democratic candidates who support abortion (and abortion funding) and to launch a long-term campaign to expand abortion in all 50 states. Their policy outline included $40 million on door-to-door canvassing, TV and online advertising, phone banks, and direct mail targeting voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in the 2024 presidential election. It also joined other left-wing organizations to launch a 10-year, $100 million campaign aimed at “securing access to abortion care in every state.”

Planned Parenthood’s annual report also notes the abortion chain spent $46.7 million on “public policy” and $14.8 to “engage communities.”

Pro-life and pro-family leaders welcomed the efforts to extricate taxpayers from funding Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion chain which has increasingly stepped into carrying out transgender procedures, often to minors as young as 12.

“Americans work hard for their money — and under the Biden administration, despite loads of hard work, that money didn’t go very far. For many, the economy was a top issue in this election. Working to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are only used in ways that work to further the good of our nation is at the forefront of the Trump administration’s agenda,” Mary Szoch, director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, told The Washington Stand. “It was beautiful to see that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have recognized that using American taxpayer dollars to fund the killing of unborn children is a complete waste of money. It is inefficient on so many levels — including that it robs Americans of future generations of children. I look forward to seeing the other areas DOGE recognizes as a waste of taxpayer dollars; this first announcement signaled that rebuilding a culture of life is part of taking back America.”

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins found “lots of good news in this plan,” specifically highlighting its calls to:

Defund Planned Parenthood.
Defund international [organizations] at odds with our interests.
Defund PBS/NPR.
Mass rescissions of unconstitutional regulations that exceed the authority of the Executive branch.
Return the federal workforce to the office five days a week, which “would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America (SFLA), had raised the issue of defunding Planned Parenthood repeatedly in recent days. “Hey DOGE, our tax dollars fund abortion,” she posted on social media last Thursday. “Taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortion. If President Trump’s goal is to end federal involvement in abortion, we must start by defunding & debarring Planned Parenthood.”

SBA Pro-Life America noted that Planned Parenthood had amassed a whopping $2.5 billion in net assets. “They should never get taxpayer dollars,” said the group, as it thanked Musk and Ramaswamy “for focusing on this important issue.”

Lila Rose of Live Action described the DOGE defunding proposal as “Amazing!”

Liberty Counsel hoped DOGE’s policy will push toward “ending all taxpayer-funded abortion.” Human Life International called DOGE’s focus on defunding anti-life programs “such good news” but asked Christians to “pray that this includes defunding global anti-life programs.”

“The federal government shouldn’t be in the business of giving away free money to non-governmental organizations. That should be obvious,” Ramaswamy commented separately.

But Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson lashed out at Musk and Ramaswamy, deriding them as “agents of chaos.”

Defunding Planned Parenthood means “wreaking havoc on our public health system, of which Planned Parenthood is an integral part,” she contended.

“Planned Parenthood doesn’t get a blank check from the federal government. Like any other health care provider, or hospital, Planned Parenthood affiliates are reimbursed for services provided to patients at health centers,” she asserted. “What Musk and Ramaswamy call ‘federal overspending’ provides critical and necessary sexual and reproductive health care to thousands of people every day — care that will disappear if they get their way.”

But Planned Parenthood officials settled a Medicaid fraud investigation, paying the state of Texas $4.3 million in 2013. Planned Parenthood’s Houston affiliate, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast (PPGC), “improperly billed the Texas Medicaid program for products and services that were never actually rendered, not medically necessary, and were not covered by the Medicaid program — and were therefore not eligible for reimbursement,” announced then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R), who is now governor. Planned Parenthood accepted no blame in the settlement.

Wisconsin state auditors also concluded that up to two-thirds of all Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood facilities were fraudulent in 2016.

The abortion industry CEO said Planned Parenthood had defeated efforts to defund it in the past and would win again. “We’ve been here before — we are not new to shutdown and ‘defund’ fights. We fended off a number of these attacks during Trump’s first term — and Planned Parenthood health centers are still there serving millions of patients across the nation,” she claimed.

But Planned Parenthood gave up federal funding rather than choosing to reduce taxpayer-funded abortion advocacy. President Donald Trump stipulated in 2019 that recipients of federal family planning funding through Title X cannot refer women for or carry out abortions. Rather than “fending off” the fight or continuing to provide “care,” the Planned Parenthood Federation of America pulled out of Title X in 2019. President Joe Biden reversed the Trump administration’s pro-life policy in October 2021.

The Planned Parenthood CEO also noted that “50% of Planned Parenthood patients are enrolled in Medicaid and other federal and state programs for uninsured patients,” pointing out other potential revenue streams for DOGE to eliminate.

All branches of government aim to assist DOGE. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) announced that he plans to create a Government Efficiency Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in the forthcoming Congress.

The administration’s plans call for DOGE to end all operations on Independence Day: July 4, 2026.

“Our North Star for reform will be the U.S. Constitution,” wrote Musk and Ramaswamy. “There is no better birthday gift to our nation on its 250th anniversary than to deliver a federal government that would make our Founders proud.”

All major studies show that using progesterone to counteract an in-progress chemical abortion can be effective. Progesterone is bio-identical to the hormone a woman’s body naturally produces to sustain pregnancy, and it has been safely used with pregnant women and their babies since the 1950s. To date, over 6,000 women have had successful abortion pill reversals, and that number grows higher every day.

These 6,000 children—enough to fill 200 kindergarten classrooms—represent lives that the world once counted as abortion statistics. Now they thrive and are loved and adored by their families.

“Today we celebrate 6,000 children, all made perfectly in the image of our God!” said Christa Brown, Senior Director of Medical Impact for Heartbeat International. “Imagine what our world would have lost if just one of them were not here. We are thankful for each of them and their brave mothers who, at one point, felt there was no other way and sadly started an abortion. Quickly, with deep regret, they realized the value of the life they carried and wanted a new plan—and the APRN was there to help.”

The success of Abortion Pill Reversal relies on science and the compassionate care of the APRN’s dedicated network of nurses, physicians, and pharmacists. When a woman takes the first pill in a chemical abortion regimen (mifepristone), the process can be interrupted by administering progesterone, allowing the pregnancy to continue. This reversal treatment is backed by decades of safe use of progesterone for pregnancy-related complications.

Despite this, abortion activists and some public officials continue to question abortion pill reversal, even taking legal actions against Heartbeat International and some pregnancy help organizations in an attempt to block access to help for women who regret starting a chemical abortion. However, these efforts have not deterred the network from answering calls for help in all 50 states and 93 countries.

“Each life is precious and filled with promise and potential that, if not for the expedient work of the APRN, might not have had that second chance,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International. “What a joy to celebrate this milestone of so many lives saved that they would overflow a concert hall!”

For the mothers who call the APRN, the opportunity for reversal is more than just a medical intervention—it is an act of redemption. Many express profound gratitude for the network that gave them a second chance to choose life.

Roy introduced a bill on Sept. 19, 2023, to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994, which “prohibits threats of force, obstruction and property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a Senate version of the bill the next month.

Critics have accused the Biden administration’s DOJ of weaponizing the FACE Act against pro-lifers while failing to charge pro-abortion vandals for the hundreds of attacks on pro-life pregnancy help centers since the leak of the draft Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade in May 2022.

Now that Republicans will have control of the House, Senate, and Executive Branch, Roy said Congress should vote to repeal the FACE Act either by the end of the year or early in January.

“We’re after the election now, so I feel like we ought to put it out there this year. Go ahead and vote on it,” he said, “so that more Americans can’t get persecuted.”

“I think with the trifecta, we should be able to pass it,” the Texas lawmaker continued. “We should bring it forward. But look, Republicans are going to have to get the nerve to actually stand up for both free speech and life.”

At least 14 pro-lifers have been convicted under the FACE Act for peacefully protesting outside abortion clinics during the Biden-Harris administration.

One of these pro-life activists is Paulette Harlow, a 75-year-old woman with chronic health conditions, who was sentenced to 24 months in prison for attempting to dissuade women from getting abortions. Another is 89-year-old Eva Edl, who survived a World War II-era death camp before escaping to the United States.

“I think we should repeal it so it can’t be abused,” Roy said.

Some of the convicted pro-life activists are represented by the Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based conservative public interest law firm. The firm’s general counsel, Andrew Bath, said the law has been “egregiously abused” and “weaponized.”

Bath said if Congress repeals the FACE Act, it is likely the Trump DOJ would dismiss all the open cases against pro-lifers. President-elect Donald Trump would have a strong reason to pardon the already convicted pro-lifers.

“On its face, you would look at it and say that it protects abortion clinics and pregnancy resource centers and churches equally,” Bath told The Daily Signal. “But it hasn’t been used that way. It’s been applied almost exclusively against pro-lifers, and it’s been weaponized, and this weapon has to be removed from the arsenal of those who are willing to abuse government power.”

In his essay, Dr. McCutchen begins by quoting historian Paul Johnson who observed “Euphemism is a human device to conceal the horrors of reality.” In his own voice, Dr. McCutchen writes, “Sociopolitical movements often use heavy euphemistic language to push agendas. One of the most prominent of these movements is the pro-choice movement.”

So what about the bedrock evasion? “The term ‘pro-choice’ is a self-endowed moniker abortion advocates use to describe themselves.” (Better to describe yourself than leave it to your opponents.) An obvious but important point to make is that the use of “pro-choice” not only begs the question—what is it you’re choosing?— like a wafer, it is essentially content free.

His second example is found on Planned Parenthood’s website. “Abortion” is listed as “a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy.” Calling abortion a “medical procedure” is “a euphemism that hides the profound implications of the act.”

An example? “Vacuum aspiration” which sounds innocuous enough. It is a “procedure” where “the cervix is manually or pharmacologically dilated.”

Then “gentle” suction is used to aspirate embryonic/fetal contents. An inventory is then conducted to ensure all the components of the embryo/fetus are present. These are graphic descriptions but are imperative to understand the nature and intent of the act.

We include something from “Clinic Quotes” virtually every day. The site abounds in examples of what women hear when their baby is whisked out of her mother’s womb and the impact on the nurses who are required to be sure there is nothing left behind of the baby in the uterus.

Just one other…”Reproductive right.” Calling abortion a “reproductive right” is “another attempt to turn the pernicious into the benign.” Dr. McCutchen writes.

Abortion is not about reproduction. Reproduction means “to make again,” referring to humans creating another human being. Actual reproductive rights precede the act of reproduction, and no one believes the right to reproduce should be stripped from anyone. However, an action taken against the product of reproduction is no longer related to reproductive rights. Abortion is a parental act and not a reproductive one. Using the term “right” regarding abortion is a misnomer in and of itself.

Dr. McCutchen ends with an acknowledgement of the truth that “As humans, we are very adept at lying to ourselves and others” to “rationalize our actions and avoid harsh realities. Calling abortion a reproductive right, health care, a procedure, or a woman’s choice is an attempt to conceal the truth.”

So, ultimately, why would defenders of abortion cling to euphemisms?

“If we remove all the euphemistic language, we are left to confront what is genuinely happening, the end of human life. Maybe we should stop the word games and embrace the uncomfortable. Honest conversations can then begin.”