Planned Parenthood Bets On Redistricting To Push Back Against Gop Funding Cuts

Abortion authorities groups are backing California Democrats successful nan escalating conflict to redraw legislature maps, informing that Republicans are rigging seats connected nan heels of profoundly unpopular cuts to information nett wellness programs and restrictions connected reproductive care.

"You return distant our freedoms, we'll return distant your seats," said Jodi Hicks, CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, during Gov. Gavin Newsom's transportation to adopt Democratic-leaning maps to offset President Donald Trump's effort to bolster GOP seats successful Texas.

"We can't beryllium idly by while nan Trump administration, while their backers successful Congress, prosecute each avenue to portion bluish states of their autonomy."

California legislators this week are debating nan caller legislature maps, drawn by Newsom allies, which would temporarily switch those drawn by nan state's independent redistricting commission. If they're approved, voters would person nan last opportunity successful a November typical election.

The mobilization comes arsenic Planned Parenthood, 1 of nan nation's starring reproductive authorities groups, tries to forestall further governmental and backing losses. Since nan Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade successful 2022, blimpish states, including Texas, person implemented laws banning abortion almost entirely. And Republicans passed Trump's tax-and-spending measure pinch monolithic cuts to Medicaid, which keeps information nett providers for illustration Planned Parenthood afloat.

The Trump management besides precocious barred nan statement and its affiliates from receiving reimbursement for nonabortion services specified arsenic crab screenings and commencement control, though a national judge has temporarily paused enforcement pending a ineligible challenge.

John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, said nan anti-abortion group is not taking a position connected either state's redistricting proposals. But, he said, Democrats' rhetoric astir protecting populist rings hollow erstwhile bluish states for illustration California walk "shield laws" that protect patients seeking abortions and their wellness attraction providers from facing consequences and make it much difficult for states for illustration Texas to enforce their laws.

Hicks, whose group represents astir 1 successful 5 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide, promised to "go each in" connected Newsom's ballot measure. She declined to opportunity really overmuch money nan statement would walk connected nan campaign.

She added that she wouldn't beryllium amazed to spot much wellness attraction groups — galore of which opposed nan caller Medicaid cuts — jump into electoral authorities pursuing nan transition of Trump's signature law. "Health attraction organizations that, maybe, don't get progressive successful those peculiar races are looking astatine things differently," she said.

So far, wellness manufacture support has been constricted to abortion authorities advocates. Reproductive Freedom for All, nan nationalist abortion authorities group formerly known arsenic NARAL, besides lauded Newsom for "holding Republicans accountable for trying to bargain votes."

Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, nan defense limb of nan state's affiliates, has urged supporters to attest astatine typical convention meetings and held a webinar to "stop nan redistricting powerfulness grab." And nan nationalist Planned Parenthood Action Fund encouraged leaders successful Democratic states to usage "all devices successful their powerfulness to push back, level nan nationalist playing field, and extremity nan descent into authoritarianism."

Hicks and her group are nary strangers to large governmental fights — moreover against Newsom. Last year, she and different wellness leaders led a $56 cardinal run to walk a revised authorities wellness attraction taxation successful November complete nan governor's concerns.

Newsom, who is trying to build a nationalist floor plan up of a imaginable 2028 statesmanlike bid, said nan effort would "neutralize" Republican gerrymandering successful Texas to pad their party's vulnerable five-seat advantage successful nan U.S. House. The statement successful nan White House has mostly mislaid legislature seats successful nan midterm elections, and governmental analysts opportunity nan inclination appears apt to proceed successful 2026.

Newsom besides called connected lawmakers successful different Democratic states to travel suit if GOP states move up pinch redistricting plans. Leaders successful Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York, and Ohio person suggested they could research akin actions, creating a imaginable cascade that governmental experts person said could sow chaos successful adjacent year's midterm elections and group a vulnerable precedent.

California Republican Party chair Corrin Rankin, whose statement stands to suffer 5 of nan 9 House seats it presently holds, called Newsom's connection a "calculated powerfulness drawback that dismantles nan very safeguards voters put successful place" erstwhile they passed legislature redistricting betterment successful 2010.

Democratic leaders person formed nan move arsenic basal to combat an existential threat to democracy. And they person criticized Republicans for trying to make an extremity tally astir elector anger toward their policies, peculiarly astir wellness care. Nearly half of adults deliberation nan Republican-passed tax-and-spending rule will wounded them, according to a July study by KFF. More than half judge abortion should beryllium legal, astatine slightest nether immoderate circumstances, per a Gallup canvass successful May.

The Republican-passed megabill is projected to slash Medicaid, nan national wellness attraction programme that covers low-income Americans, by astir $1 trillion complete 10 years. And nan Trump management has trim backing to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and nan National Institutes of Health, including clawing backmost aesculapian and technological investigation costs from universities.

"They cognize that voters will clasp them accountable for nan cuts they rammed done Congress that will portion wellness attraction distant from millions of people," said Democratic authorities lawmaker Sabrina Cervantes, chair of nan Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee. "Because they cognize they cannot triumph adjacent elections, they are changing nan rules successful nan mediate of nan game."

Republican incumbents who could beryllium redistricted into oblivion are crying foul.

"Mid-Decade redistricting is wrong, nary matter wherever it's being done," Rep. Doug LaMalfa wrote connected nan societal level X. Last week, nan seven-term Republican endured a dispute municipality hallway successful his agrarian Northern California district, defending his ballot for nan caller rule by saying it "doesn't trim a azygous dollar from group who qualify" for Medi-Cal, nan state's Medicaid program.

If approved by voters, proponents said, California's 52 caller House districts would besides bolster susceptible legislature Democrats and beryllium successful effect for nan 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections. The representation would not spell into effect unless different authorities approved its ain gerrymandering effort. After nan 2030 census, nan authorities committee would regain power of nan process.

Paul Mitchell, a redistricting master who helped draught nan Democrats' map, said his squad utilized nan commission's territory boundaries arsenic a starting constituent and, for much than half nan districts, moved less than 10% of voters.

"This is not a Twitter hack job," said Mitchell, a Democrat who is joined to Hicks and has agelong supported nan independent commission's work. "I want to get backmost to nonpartisan redistricting, but correct now we're successful a crisis."

National polls show voters reason partisan redistricting. And California voters still overwhelmingly support nan state's independent redistricting system, said seasoned GOP strategist Rob Stutzman, who added that passing specified analyzable ballot connection successful an off-year predetermination would beryllium nary easy feat.

"You're asking voters to make an unprincipled decision. You're asking them to rig an predetermination because allegedly Texas is rigging an election," Stutzman said. "'No' votes are truthful overmuch easier erstwhile it's confusing, and this is highly confusing."

Dave Wasserman, elder editor and elections expert for nan Cook Political Report, said Texas and California person nan imaginable to group disconnected a "redistricting apocalypse" that will person awesome implications successful nan conflict to power Congress.

"If Democrats neglect to walk a ballot inaugural to offset Texas, past Republicans would spell from having a very constrictive chance to clasp nan House to, perhaps, an moreover chance," he said. But, he added, nationalist sentiment connected wellness attraction cuts remains nan biggest obstacle successful nan party's path.

This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent work of nan California Health Care Foundation.