GOP Abortion Funding Crackdown Faces Moderate Republican Resistance in House

President Donald Trump’s ambitious legislative package, including a provision aimed at restricting federal payments to abortion providers, is encountering significant resistance from moderate Republicans within the House of Representatives. The contentious measure, intended to curb federal Medicaid dollars flowing to organizations providing abortion services, is stirring internal party divisions and threatening to derail the broader reconciliation bill.

House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, a Republican from Kentucky, briefed GOP lawmakers on his committee’s portion of the reconciliation bill during a conference call Sunday night. During the question-and-answer session, Representative Mike Lawler of New York voiced concerns about the abortion-related provision, suggesting it could face strong opposition.

"You are running into a hornets nest," Lawler reportedly cautioned his colleagues.

Lawler, who represents a district Trump lost in 2024, questioned the definition of "large groups who provide abortion services" and emphasized the need for careful scrutiny of the language. He also pointed out that the existing Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal funding for abortion services, raising questions about the necessity and potential impact of the new provision.

Guthrie assured Lawler that the language had been carefully considered, but Lawler’s concerns were echoed by other moderate Republicans. An anonymous source familiar with the discussions revealed that several moderate Republicans have signaled their potential opposition to the final bill if the abortion provision remains included.

According to the source, the moderates argued, "We’re not fighting a new fight on abortion when that’s kind of calmed down."

The potential measure aims to redirect funds from "big abortion" to federally qualified health centers, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson. The legislation targets nonprofit organizations that are "an essential community provider…that is primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health, and related medical care; and provides for abortions."

The legislation includes exceptions for facilities that only provide abortions in cases of rape, incest, or threats to the life of the mother. It is part of a broader effort to cut spending and fund Trump’s other priorities through the budget reconciliation process.

The House Republicans’ slim three-vote majority means they can afford very little dissent to pass legislation without Democratic support. Virtually no Democrats are on board with Trump’s policy overhaul.

The budget-reconciliation process lowers the Senate’s passage threshold from 60 votes to 51, aligning with the House’s simple majority threshold. Reconciliation allows the majority party to bypass the minority and pass legislation dealing with taxes, spending, or the national debt.

Trump aims to use this maneuver to advance his priorities on border security, immigration, taxes, defense, energy, and raising the debt ceiling. Various House committees are working on their respective sections of the bill. These sections will be combined into a single legislative package for consideration in both the House and Senate.

The Energy & Commerce Committee, with its broad jurisdiction over areas like Medicare, Medicaid, telecommunications, and energy production, was tasked with identifying at least $880 billion in spending cuts out of a total $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion. Guthrie stated that the bill released on Sunday includes "north of" $900 billion in spending cuts.

In addition to restricting Medicaid funds for large abortion providers, the legislation includes provisions to implement work requirements for certain able-bodied Medicaid expansion beneficiaries and to target Medicaid dollars going to states that provide taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal immigrants. It would also repeal certain Biden administration green energy subsidies, including the former White House’s electric vehicle mandate.

The controversy surrounding the abortion provision highlights the internal divisions within the Republican Party regarding abortion policy. While conservative Republicans strongly support restricting abortion access, moderate Republicans are wary of alienating voters in more moderate districts.

The potential opposition from moderate Republicans could jeopardize the passage of the entire reconciliation bill, throwing Trump’s legislative agenda into uncertainty. The outcome of this battle will likely depend on negotiations between Republican leaders and moderate lawmakers. The specific language of the abortion provision, and any potential compromises, will be crucial in determining whether the bill can garner enough support to pass both chambers of Congress.

The clash over abortion funding is just one aspect of a larger struggle within the Republican Party as it navigates the post-Trump era. The party is grappling with how to balance its conservative base with the need to appeal to a broader electorate.

The upcoming votes on the reconciliation bill will serve as a critical test of Republican unity and the party’s ability to advance its legislative agenda in a closely divided Congress. The outcome will have significant implications for the future of abortion policy in the United States and for the direction of the Republican Party as a whole.