Facing devastating cuts, advocates look to City Council to restore funding during budget negotiations.
PHILADELPHIA – Today, advocates and allied Councilmembers called for the City to provide direct funding to Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania in the FY2027 budget. The organization, which provides care to over 20,000 people in Philadelphia, is facing devastating federal funding cuts that threaten its long-term sustainability.
Over the past several years, the City of Philadelphia has responded to escalating attacks by providing direct municipal funding to support local reproductive healthcare organizations, including Planned Parenthood. But in the most recent City budget, that funding was absent.
“Last year, just as Trump was ramping up his attacks on Planned Parenthood, City funding for reproductive healthcare dropped to zero,” said Minority Leader Kendra Brooks, Councilmember At-Large and Chair of the Philadelphia Reproductive Freedom Task Force. “It’s up to us as a City to make sure that Planned Parenthood will be there for the next generation of young people, and that means investing in this crucial pillar of public health in the FY27 budget.”
“Since last summer, 53 Planned Parenthood health centers have closed across the country, stripping patients of essential care, putting those most in need at risk, and forcing already strained providers to absorb even more patients,” said Dayle Steinberg, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania. “We cannot let that happen here in Philadelphia. That’s why we are calling on the city to invest $1 million to help offset the loss of Medicaid funding.”
“I can’t imagine a Philadelphia where abortion seekers and people seeking care like pap smears and birth control are left scrambling,” said Caroline Jones, a Planned Parenthood patient storyteller. “Anti-abortion proponents will stop at nothing to block people like me from accessing abortion care. Municipal funding will help keep the doors open for Planned Parenthood and providers like them who offer the full range of sexual and reproductive health care. We deserve a city where this lifeline—and our rights—are protected.”
“City funding for reproductive healthcare isn’t just a budget decision, it’s a statement of City Hall’s values,” said Councilmember Rue Landau (At-Large), a member of the Reproductive Freedom Task Force. “In Philadelphia, we believe everyone deserves access to care, including LGBTQ+ residents who too often face barriers and discrimination in healthcare settings. This investment is about making sure that care is not only protected, but truly accessible, affirming, and equitable for all.”
“Four years ago I joined with Councilmembers Helen Gym and Kendra Brooks to enact legislation enshrining the City of Philadelphia as a reproductive healthcare safe haven,” said Councilmember Jaime Gauthier (District 3). “I know what it is like to be a 16-year-old girl faced with one of the hardest decisions of her life. Our young people deserve the same freedom over their own bodies and access to care that we had at their age. The City of Philadelphia needs to fund life-saving reproductive healthcare.”
Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania (PPSP) serves 20,000 patients in Philadelphia alone. No other provider can absorb that level of care if PPSP is forced to reduce or close services. The majority (66%) of PPSP’s patients have incomes under 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. Funding cuts disproportionately affect women of color – 44% of PPSP’s patients identify as Black or African American, 15% as Hispanic or Latino, 5% as Asian, and 3% as Multi-Racial. Eliminating affordable care will have devastating impacts on public health–especially in a city that has the second highest sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates in the country.
Currently, Mayor Parker’s proposed budget does not include any funding for Planned Parenthood. Budget hearings and budget negotiations will continue through the spring, and City Council is expected to vote on a final budget in June.
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