Policy Brief: Week of May 26th
May is Women's Health Month, To Celebrate The Administration Wants to Defund the Remaining 200 Planned Parenthood Health Centers and cut Medical Care Coverage to Millions
Click to Skip Ahead: On The Hill, What’s Happening in The SE States, What I’ve Been Reading, Action To Take
Thank YOU!
I’m profoundly grateful to share that my Substack was ranked #57 Rising in Health Politics — up from #67 just a few weeks ago. I know these rankings fluctuate day to day, but when I first launched this substack, I never imagined it would grow into a community of nearly 430 subscribers, let alone be recognized on a national list.
From day one, my goal has been to leverage years of research, advocacy, and lived experience to help people mobilize in their communities, raise awareness for those in urgent need of mutual aid and support, and shine a light on what’s happening in the most restrictive region of the country.
Whether you're on the ground or watching from afar, this platform exists to inform, connect, and inspire action. Thank you for reading, sharing, and being part of this space. Your support means everything.
May Is Women’s Health Month
We are headed toward the final week of Women’s Health Month. To celebrate, the administration and Congressional Republicans announced massive cuts to Medicaid and women’s healthcare coverage—on Mother’s Day. The measure passed May 22.
Given this year’s policy changes and Executive Orders, we are taking a massive step back to support women and birthing people in this country. Last month The Gender Equity Policy Institute published "Maternal Mortality in the United States After Abortion Bans." The report found that women are twice as likely to die in pregnancy in states with abortion bans. One in four Black women and girls live in states with abortion bans and they are in even more danger. Black mothers living in banned states were 3.3x as likely to die as White mothers in those states. Meanwhile, maternal mortality in pro-choice states fell 21%. You can read the report here to learn more.
On The Hill
Both the House & Senate are out of session this week. Members will be back in DC on June 3rd and 2nd, respectively.
The Big Beautiful Bill
By a one-vote margin in the middle of the night of May 21st, Trump's budget reconciliation bill passed the House. This budget would add $2.3 trillion to the national deficit and raise taxes for everyday Americans, with $2 trillion in tax cuts to benefit the rich. Additionally it includes:
Ending Medicaid and taking nutrition assistance away from millions of people,
$300 billion cut from food stamps/SNAP, $700 billion cut from Medicaid,
Ban gender-affirming care for youth and for many adults enrolled in Medicaid,
“Defund” Planned Parenthood clinics that provide essential reproductive care to 2 million patients a year
Nearly 200 Planned Parenthood health centers may be forced to close their doors. Millions of people rely on Planned Parenthood for birth control, life-saving cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more.
Punish states that use their own state dollars to expand Medicaid coverage to some immigrants,
The bill calls for $70 billion to be spent deporting one million people a year
Enact a small, temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that doesn’t reach the lowest-income families who need it most and excludes even more immigrant families from the credit entirely,
Strip funding from Pell Grants that 7 million students from families with low incomes use to help pay for higher education, and
Would allocate $20 billion to pay for Trump's 'Golden Dome' which Musk's SpaceX is expected to lead
Provide huge new tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.
TLDR; Maternal mortality and health disparities will worsen. People of color, rural and low-income communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities will be disproportionately harmed. This would be the largest wealth transfer from the poor and middle class to the wealthy in recent history.
The move is deeply unpopular, not just among Democrats, but also drawing significant concern from many Republicans. Many are forecasting this move will jeopardize many GOP seats in the House for 2026.
Repeal of the FACE Act
In the wake of the deadly California bombing outside a fertility clinic, Members of Congress look to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. This is the only federal law that protects reproductive health clinics and places of worship from violence and harassment. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, “The FACE Act was passed in 1994 after a wave of anti-abortion violence, including the murder of Dr. David Gunn outside a clinic in Florida. The law made threatening patients or providers, or blocking access to care, a federal crime. But since Roe v. Wade was overturned, attacks have skyrocketed—including nearly 300 threats of death threats or harm. Earlier this year, President Trump pardoned multiple anti-abortion extremists convicted under the FACE Act. Some had broken into clinics, stolen fetal tissue, or harassed pregnant patients.”
Reproductive Health in The South
Alabama
In the 2025 legislative session, Alabama advocates secured a historic win for reproductive healthcare with the passage of the Alabama Maternal Healthcare Act (SB102). The new law ensures that every pregnant person in the state can access 60 days of prenatal care while waiting for Medicaid approval, marking a major step forward through the expansion of presumptive eligibility.
Florida
The Florida House is under growing pressure to reopen and expand the investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, the signature program of Casey DeSantis. A criminal investigation is underway after revelations that $10 million from a Medicaid settlement, meant to help struggling Floridians, was *allegedly* funneled into political nonprofits working to block Amendment 4, which would overturn Florida’s 6-week abortion ban. Internal emails show direct involvement from senior state officials, including James Uthmeier, now Attorney General. The original House probe was abruptly shut down—no subpoenas, no testimony, no final report. Floridians deserve transparency, accountability, and their $10 million meant for reproductive care. Read Further: here, here, and here.
Georgia:
I am still trying to digest the news on Adriana Smith. Smith, declared medically brain dead, is being mechanically kept “alive” to continue the life of her fetus. Given the gray area of the state’s abortion laws, the rights of a deceased mother is second to the fetus’ rights. It remains unknown whether the fetus will face complications after birth. The medical system, keeping this woman on life support against the family’s wishes, have declined to publicly comment.
Actions To Take
Write to your Member of Congress to fight Medicaid cuts from advancing through the Senate (bonus points if you sign Action Network’s petition as well)
Tell Congress to Protect Planned Parenthood health centers
Tell your Representative to vote NO on repealing the FACE Act
What I’ve Been Reading & Recommend:
How All Politics Became Reproductive Politics: From Welfare Reform to Foreclosure to Trump By Laura Briggs
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
Thanks for following along. I’ve got some longer form research pieces coming out soon that highlight the unique reproductive justice landscape of the south.
Onward and Upward,
Lauren
Congrats! You are awesome!