Supreme Court rejects challenge to South Carolina defunding Planned Parenthood
New York PostJUN 28
SCOTUS Allows States to Cut Planned Parenthood's Medicaid Funds
Above: Henry McMaster (C) speaks outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on April 2, 2025. Image copyright: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
States have the constitutional authority to determine which healthcare providers qualify for taxpayer-funded programs, such as Medicaid. South Carolina rightfully exercised this authority to ensure public funds don't subsidize organizations that perform abortions, even indirectly through fungible money supporting their broader operations.
Democratic narrative
This decision strips vulnerable Americans of their fundamental right to choose their own healthcare providers and creates dangerous barriers to essential medical services. The ruling particularly harms low-income women and communities of color who rely on Planned Parenthood for critical reproductive healthcare beyond abortion services.