September 19, 2017
The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We thank you for your attention to advancing pro-life issues since taking office, including giving our states the freedom to direct the spending of our Title X family planning dollars to entities that match our states’ needs and values.
Today, we are writing to urge you to give our states similar flexibility in our Medicaid programs. Medicaid is the largest taxpayer funding stream for the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. In fact, according to research by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, Planned Parenthood commands 35% of the abortion market.
In the wake of yet another state (South Carolina) seeking the same flexibility with Medicaid dollars, combined with the recent ruling in the 8th Circuit US Court of Appeals approving Arkansas’ decision not to fund abortion providers in their Medicaid program, it is essential that your administration respond quickly. It is time to remove the administrative barrier to our states’ right to direct dollars away from abortion providers: Medicaid guidance issued by the Obama administration.1
We are a coalition of almost two hundred pro-life women lawmakers in forty-three states and at the federal level. We are devoted to measures that enhance the well-being of women and show respect for the intrinsic value of every human life in our states. We have invited other lawmakers to join us on this letter; our male and female colleagues in state legislatures with whom we have gone as far as we can to ‘defund’ abortion providers with the tools we have. Now we seek your help to unlock this massive barrier to state discretion.
We write to ask you to direct the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to rescind the interpretation that states must reimburse abortion providers and,
1 https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/smd16005.pdf
National Pro-Life Women's Caucus, Susan B. Anthony List 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20036 P 202.223.8073 * FX 202.223.8078 instead, issue guidance giving us the flexibility to set reasonable standards that are in the best interests of our respective Medicaid programs and the patients they serve.
The prior administration’s attempt to force our states to fund the abortion industry must be reversed, and we must be allowed to spend these millions of dollars in a manner that is consistent with standards that are in the best interest of women’s health and safety.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Representative Terri Collins Representative Jill Norgaard Alabama Arizona
Senator Nancy Barto Representative David Livingston Arizona Arizona
Senator Sylvia Allen Representative Vince Leach Arizona Arizona
Senator Gail Griffin Representative Drew John Arizona Arizona
Senator John Kavanagh Representative Kevin Payne Arizona Arizona
Senator Steve Smith Representative Paul Mosley Arizona Arizona
Senator Debbie Lesko Representative David Cook Arizona Arizona
Senator Steven B. Yarbrough Representative Paul Boyer Arizona Arizona
Senator Kimberly Yee Representative Ben Toma Arizona Arizona
Senator Warren Petersen Representative Darin Mitchell Arizona Arizona
National Pro-Life Women's Caucus, Susan B. Anthony List 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20036 P 202.223.8073 * FX 202.223.8078
Representative John Allen Senator Liz Brown Arizona Indiana
Representative Kelly Townsend Senator Travis Holdman Arizona Indiana
Representative Jay Lawrence Senator Erin Houchin Arizona Indiana
Representative Don Shooter Senator Dennis Kruse Arizona Indiana
Representative Travis Grantham Representative Sandy Salmon Arizona Iowa
Representative Mark Finchem Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook Arizona Kansas
Assemblyman Jim Patterson Representative Susan Humphries California Kansas
Representative Kim Ransom Delegate Susan Krebs Colorado Maryland
Representative Lori Saine Senator Judy Emmons Colorado Michigan
Representative Scott Hilton Senator Michelle Benson Georgia Minnesota
Representative Brad Raffensperger Representative Cindy Pugh Georgia Minnesota
Representative Bob McDermott Representative Abigail Whelan Hawaii Minnesota
Representative Tom Morrison Representative Jim Knoblach Illinois Minnesota
Representative Ron Bacon Senator Robert F. Onder, M.D., J.D. Indiana Missouri
National Pro-Life Women's Caucus, Susan B. Anthony List 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20036 P 202.223.8073 * FX 202.223.8078
Representative Donna Lichtenegger Representative Larry G. Pittman Missouri North Carolina
Representative Jeanine Notter Representative Michael Speciale New Hampshire North Carolina
Senator Joyce Krawiec Representative Carl Ford North Carolina North Carolina
Senator Shirley B. Randleman Representative Beverly G. Boswell North Carolina North Carolina
Senator Dan Bishop Representative Cody Henson North Carolina North Carolina
Senator Ralph Hise Representative Kelly Hastings North Carolina North Carolina
Senator Norman Sanderson Representative Debra Conrad North Carolina North Carolina
Senator Tommy Tucker Representative George G. Cleveland North Carolina North Carolina
Senator David Curtis Representative Phil Shepard North Carolina North Carolina
Senator Deanna Ballard Representative Michele Presnell North Carolina North Carolina
Senator Kathy Harrington Representative John Torbett North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Pat McElraft Representative Rena Turner North Carolina North Carolina
Representative John Bradford III Representative Jay Adams North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Jeffrey Elmore Representative John Sauls North Carolina North Carolina
National Pro-Life Women's Caucus, Susan B. Anthony List 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20036 P 202.223.8073 * FX 202.223.8078
Representative Mark Brody Representative Julia Howard North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Mike Clampitt Representative Mitchell Setzer North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Dennis Riddell Representative Brenden Jones North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Allen McNeill Representative Larry Yarborough North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Frank Iler Representative D. Craig Horn North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Susan Martin Representative Bob Steinburg North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Linda Hunt Williams Representative Donna White North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Destin Hall Representative Scott D. Stone North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Jason Saine Representative Chris Millis North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Jonathan C. Jordan Representative Bert Jones North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Pat Hurley Representative Dana Bumgardner North Carolina North Carolina
Representative David Rogers Representative Kyle Hall North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Jimmy Dixon Representative Donny Lambeth North Carolina North Carolina
Representative Dean Arp Representative Holly Grange North Carolina North Carolina
National Pro-Life Women's Caucus, Susan B. Anthony List 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20036 P 202.223.8073 * FX 202.223.8078
Representative Larry Potts Senator Glen Sturtevant North Carolina Virginia
Senator Janne Myrdal Delegate Nick Freitas North Dakota Virginia
Senator Karen Rohr Delegate R. Steven Landes North Dakota Virginia
Representative Christina Hagan Delegate Tony Wilt Ohio Virginia
Senator Julie Daniels Delegate Dave LaRock Oklahoma Virginia
Representative Kathy Rapp Delegate John O’Bannon Pennsylvania Virginia
Representative Heather Ammons Crawford Delegate Brenda Pogge South Carolina Virginia
Representative Debra Moody Delegate Ben Cline Tennessee Virginia
Senator Janice Bowling Delegate Riley Ingram Tennessee Virginia
Representative Stephanie Klick Senator Jan Angel Texas Washington
Representative Cindy Burkett Senator Mike Padden Texas Washington
Senator Margaret Dayton Senator Mark Miloscia Utah Washington
Senator Amanda Chase Delegate Kelli Sobonya Virginia West Virginia
Senator Charles W. Carrico Delegate Kayla Kessinger Virginia West Virginia
National Pro-Life Women's Caucus, Susan B. Anthony List 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 750 Washington, DC 20036 P 202.223.8073 * FX 202.223.8078