SEATTLE, Wash. – Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said today that Washington state will backfill funding for Planned Parenthood if it is successfully removed by the reconciliation bill signed by President Trump on July 4.
His announcement, which was published in a news release as well as in a press conference, said that if the “Big, Beautiful Bill” halts funding to Planned Parenthood, in Washington it would create an $11 million deficit for the organization.
During the press conference, which he held alongside Representative Pramila Jayapal and Planned Parenthood advocates, Ferguson explained that he plans to take the $11 million in funds as a one-time backfill from Washington’s Health Care Authority.
He said that the funding would be temporary – a transfer only to cover one year of what Planned Parenthood stands to lose in Washington.
He explained that the decision is meant “to make sure we’re adequately funding Planned Parenthood during this very challenging time.”
He also said that while the funding gap for Planned Parenthood is one Washington could cover in a manageable way, covering the gaps in funding to SNAP and Medicaid, which stand to lose billions of dollars in funding due to the tax bill, is not something Wahsington state can do as easily.
He said the difference was the amount of money they would need to provide.
He also said that, in terms of providing funds for service organizations in Washington, it is more effective to focus on mitigating losses than to redistribute state funds.
The reconciliation bill would prohibit federal funding from going to Planned Parenthood because of their role as a provider of reproductive health services and abortion services.
On Monday, a federal judge from Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order preserving Planned Parenthood’s federal funding until at least July 21 in order to determine if the bill promotes unfair unfavorable treatment.
