WASHINGTON, D.C., June 16, 2025 — Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, applauds the Senate Finance Committee’s release of reconciliation bill language that includes a provision to prohibit abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood, from receiving government funds. This is a significant step toward a longstanding priority of Southern Baptists and the pro-life movement. The text also includes multiple provisions that bolster the family and safeguard the dignity of children.
The Finance Committee’s draft text aligns with the tax reform priorities set by the ERLC earlier this year. The goal for these priorities is that lawmakers can better promote life and support families as they review potential tax and budget reforms in the reconciliation process.
“For far too long, abortion providers like Planned Parenthood have been responsible for disposing of vulnerable, preborn lives and trampling the consciences of millions of pro-life Americans,” said Leatherwood. “That must stop. The Senate Finance Committee’s inclusion of this provision is yet another significant step toward our goal of ending abortion for good. Southern Baptists believe that life begins at conception and that every human being has dignity and worth, given by our Creator. As followers of Christ, we must advocate for protecting vulnerable preborn lives and oppose organizations that undermine the value of life and practices that take innocent life.”
This is a significant step forward for Southern Baptists as the released portion of the reconciliation bill includes multiple priorities outlined in the ERLC’s Priorities for Budget Reconciliation, which ERLC staff released in January.
Leatherwood also released the ERLC’s 2025 Public Policy Agenda in January. The following ERLC 2025 Public Policy Agenda priorities were included in the Finance Committee’s draft text:
- Defund Planned Parenthood: Abortion providers are listed as prohibited entities that cannot receive federal payments, including Medicaid reimbursements. This prohibition extends to all successors and related entities in the industry, decisively ensuring that funds can’t be funnelled to abortion providers.
- Child Tax Credit: The amount of the full child tax credit would increase to $2,200 per child. The full child tax credit will be indexed to inflation.
- Adoption Tax Credit: Refundability language was included in the final bill, and the credit amount will be adjusted for inflation.
- Charitable giving: The bill includes a robust charitable deduction for people who do not elect to itemize (up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for joint filers).
- Defund Gender Transition Procedures: This bill includes a prohibition of the use of taxpayer dollars on gender transition procedures for both minors and adults covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan.
While each priority above was maintained from the House-passed reconciliation bill, senators made slight adjustments. House and Senate lawmakers will continue to negotiate the specific details of these provisions with the goal of passing the final bill by Independence Day.
The ERLC applauds the inclusion of these priorities in the Senate Finance Committee’s text, particularly the defunding of Planned Parenthood. This spring, the ERLC has led SBC leaders and pastors in calling on legislators to take concrete steps in writing a reconciliation bill that would strip Planned Parenthood and large abortion providers of all federal funding. Since the launch of the ERLC’s campaign to defund Planned Parenthood, more than 30,000 Southern Baptists and pro-life Americans have signed on, adding their voices to call on Congress to take steps to stop taxpayer funding of abortion procedures.
