USCCB Bishops Barron and Thomas Send Letter to the US Government to End Funding of Abortion and "Gender Transition"
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sent a letter to the United States Senate and representatives calling on them to defund Planned Parenthood and end taxpayer funding for abortions, transgender procedures, and other services that “gravely violate human dignity.” Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron and Toledo, Ohio, Bishop Daniel Thomas, are the chairmen of the USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, and Committee on Pro-Life, respectively, wrote the letter dated March 27th, 2025:
Dear Senator/Representative:
Pro-life advocates will be on Capitol Hill today, encouraging you to cut taxpayer funding of the abortion industry in the budget reconciliation process. The leading abortion business, Planned Parenthood, is also the nation’s “second largest provider of hormone therapy” for patients attempting “gender transition.”1 Whereas we and brother bishops wrote in January on multiple matters connected to budget reconciliation that affect the poor and vulnerable, today we write in particular to affirm our support for stopping taxpayer funding of the abortion and “gender transition” industries.
Necessary, longstanding, and historically bipartisan policies like the Hyde Amendment help prevent public funding for elective abortions themselves. Yet Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the U.S. at over 390,000 preborn children killed per year (about 40% of the total), still receives nearly $700 million annually – about a third of its revenue – from taxpayers.3 It does so at an increase, in both public funds and abortions, while at the same time decreasing many of the other services that it offers and the number of women to whom it offers them.
Another area of increased activity on the part of Planned Parenthood, moreover, has been the promotion of gender ideology to children and the provision of “gender transition” services. The offlabel use of hormones and puberty blockers has proven to be a lucrative billion-dollar business in an ever-growing market. Planned Parenthood offers “gender transition” services at nearly 450 clinics across the nation, surpassing the number of its locations that perform abortions.
Pro-life advocates will be on Capitol Hill today, encouraging you to cut taxpayer funding of the abortion industry in the budget reconciliation process. The leading abortion business, Planned Parenthood, is also the nation’s “second largest provider of hormone therapy” for patients attempting “gender transition.”1 Whereas we and brother bishops wrote in January on multiple matters connected to budget reconciliation that affect the poor and vulnerable, today we write in particular to affirm our support for stopping taxpayer funding of the abortion and “gender transition” industries.
Necessary, longstanding, and historically bipartisan policies like the Hyde Amendment help prevent public funding for elective abortions themselves. Yet Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the U.S. at over 390,000 preborn children killed per year (about 40% of the total), still receives nearly $700 million annually – about a third of its revenue – from taxpayers.3 It does so at an increase, in both public funds and abortions, while at the same time decreasing many of the other services that it offers and the number of women to whom it offers them.
Another area of increased activity on the part of Planned Parenthood, moreover, has been the promotion of gender ideology to children and the provision of “gender transition” services. The offlabel use of hormones and puberty blockers has proven to be a lucrative billion-dollar business in an ever-growing market. Planned Parenthood offers “gender transition” services at nearly 450 clinics across the nation, surpassing the number of its locations that perform abortions.
A regional handbook
by Planned Parenthood revealed that “[m]ost of our patients can get a hormone prescription at the end
of their first visit with us.” As the rate of these destructive services has dramatically increased, so too
has government funding. As you consider how to best steward taxpayer resources in the weeks ahead, we call upon you
to stop funding abortion and “gender transition” industries that gravely violate human dignity.
Instead, we urge you to prioritize the needs of struggling families so they can flourish.
Sincerely,
Most Reverend Robert E. Barron
Most Reverend Daniel E. Thomas
Sincerely,
Most Reverend Robert E. Barron
Most Reverend Daniel E. Thomas
Source: https://d3dkdvqff0zqx.cloudfront.net/groups/usccb/attachments/Letter_-_Defund_Planned_Parenthood_(2025).pdf
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