The Atlantic called the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” the biggest anti-abortion victory since Roe v. Wade was overturned. That’s because the mega-bill includes a provision that will bar Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements – not just for abortion but for any health service they provide. Michele Goodwin, Professor of Constitutional Law & Global Health Policy at Georgetown Law is among the many experts warning that this defunding will have a devastating impact on reproductive healthcare, saying in many of the communities served by Planned Parenthood, “there’s no other place for [patients] to go. There’s no other clinic, there’s no other county provider, and we are talking about basic health care, like getting vaccinated or even getting prenatal care and postnatal care.” Amanda Zurawski, a reproductive rights activist who nearly died after being denied an abortion under Texas’ ban, says stories like hers used to be shocking but are becoming so commonplace, as access to reproductive care is rolled back, that no one notices them anymore. “We’re seeing [lawmakers] coordinate these orchestrated efforts to restrict access, you know, in more sinister and unfortunately creative ways, and it’s working. And I think we have to really stay vigilant, and we have to keep an eye on our elected officials,” Zurawski says.
