With the execution of several executive orders that favor Christians, including the reinvigoration of the White House Faith Office, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is asking Congress to defund Planned Parenthood.

Through the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the SBC has launched a national campaign of awareness and action to cut federal funding for the largest U.S. reproductive healthcare organization. In the official news release, ERLC President Brent Leatherwood states that the SBC’s “long-held pro-life ethic” motivates them to act as Congress explores a “reconciliation process” or creating efficiencies in the legislative process to make passing bills easier and less cumbersome.

“It’s time to put an end to our taxpayer dollars going to fund the egregious taking of life at the hands of Planned Parenthood,” he said. “Our hope is for Congress to recognize Southern Baptists’ support of this effort and our unwavering commitment to protecting preborn lives. May God use our efforts to advance a true culture of life in our country.”

Attempts to defund the nation’s leading provider of abortions date back to 2007 when former Vice President Mike Pence, who represented Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives at the time, presented Congress with its first-ever federal legislation aimed at defunding Planned Parenthood. He did this every year until a similar bill was passed through the U.S. House of Representatives in 2011.

Likewise, this is not the first time the ERLC has maneuvered a bill into Congress to defund Planned Parenthood. In 2015, they worked with former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) and former Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) to develop SB 1881.

The Southern Baptist Convention leadership and ERLC cite a 2023 Planned Parenthood annual report that shows performed abortions were up five percent that year at 392,715–a 10-year high. Yet, the number of patients for all services decreased by 80,000. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year alone, the U.S. Government provided the organization with 34 percent of its total revenue, $669 million.

Leatherwood believes that, given the current makeup of the Trump Administration and Congress, now is a critical time to act.

“We’re going to be delivering that message to the House of Representatives and, in particular, the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Budget Committee, to tell them that this needs to be a priority as they are saving taxpayer resources,” Leatherwood explained to the Christian Post.

“With the reconciliation process beginning with a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and a Republican-controlled White House, we think now is the time to follow through on those commitments and fully defund Planned Parenthood so that taxpayer resources aren’t going to this sort of horrific behavior and activity,” he continued.

To take advantage of the reconciliation process, the Senate must have a simple majority instead of the typical 60-vote minimum standard. A simple majority means that 51 of 100 elected officials must vote for a bill. Currently, Republicans hold 53 Senate seats.

The timing of the SBC efforts aligns with Sen. Rand Paul’s reintroduction of his bill, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, which he shared before the 2025 March for Life event in Washington, D.C.

“As a physician, I took an oath to do no harm,” Paul said. “As a father and grandfather, I’ve witnessed the miracle of life firsthand. My commitment to protecting life isn’t just personal; it’s rooted in both science and principle. Life begins at conception, and I’ve spent my time in the Senate fighting to protect the right to life.”

Paul’s bill is co-sponsored by Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

For more information about the ERLC petition, visit the policy content on erlc.com.