Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Board Co-Chair of Planned Parenthood L.A., led leaders from across Los Angeles County on July 21, 2025 on a full healthcare alert including L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and Director of L.A. County Public Health, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, in sounding the alarm on the looming public health crisis that would be triggered by federal defunding of Planned Parenthood.
To learn more about what’s at stake for California and what this bill means for you and your family, please Kamlager -Dove is hosting a Telephone Town Hall on Thursday, July 24, at 6 PM with special guest Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
You can register for the event here or livestream the event on my Facebook. If you’d like to submit a question for the discussion in advance, please use this form.
Earlier this month, President Trump signed a budget reconciliation bill that includes a provision to “defund” Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) filed a lawsuit challenging the law and its unconstitutional, politically motivated attack on local health centers’ ability to provide care. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order that is set to expire today.
“We refuse to stand by while the Trump Administration dismantles our health care system and further erodes our reproductive rights,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Planned Parenthood Los Angles Board Co-Chair. “Because they couldn’t eradicate abortion through Dobbs, they snuck a backdoor abortion ban into their Big Ugly Bill to target providers and threaten their ability to offer care. Make no mistake, California will remain a beacon of reproductive freedom. We will not be intimidated, we will not be silenced, and we will continue to fight—for Planned Parenthood, for providers, and for every patient who depends on them.”
“Stripping Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood doesn’t just threaten clinics, it threatens people. Forcing clinics to shut down is a direct assault on the health and well-being of Black and Brown communities, low-income families, and others for whom Planned Parenthood is their only source of health care,” said L.A. County Supervisor, Holly Mitchell.
“Planned Parenthood plays a vital role in advancing health equity across Los Angeles County. With 24 health centers serving over 260,000 patient visits each year, many in communities that have long been medically underserved, Planned Parenthood serves as a trusted, valued, and essential health care provider,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health. “By singling out Planned Parenthood, the federal government is disrupting the delivery of high-quality medicine and the primacy of the provider-patient relationship for thousands of people across Los Angeles. Sadly, this short-sited politically motivated move by the federal government will deepen longstanding health inequities and threaten the well-being of so many.”
“Losing access to Planned Parenthood health centers would be not just be a disaster for public health, but also for the young people, women and families who rely on our services to determine the course of their own futures. My message to every Planned Parenthood Los Angeles patient is this: Our doors stay open, and care continues. We’ve been honored to serve this community for 60 years – and we have no intention of going anywhere,” said Sue Dunlap, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.
Like any other health care provider, Planned Parenthood is reimbursed for services provided to patients. Defunding means that Planned Parenthood health centers will not receive federal reimbursement for care provided to patients who use Medicaid for their health coverage. More than 80% of Planned Parenthood’s patients in California rely on Medi-Cal, the state Medicaid program, to access birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more.
