Speaker Robert Rivas Condemns Federal Defunding of Planned Parenthood Following Closure of Gilroy Health Center

SACRAMENTO—  California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) issued a forceful condemnation of Trump and Republican cuts to women’s health care and reproductive freedom, following the announcement that Planned Parenthood Mar Monte will close five health centers across California. 

Mar Monte is the largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the country, and the closure of several women’s health providers will leave detrimental impacts on residents, including in the city of Gilroy, which Speaker Rivas represents.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas Says

“Trump and Republicans continue to attack women’s rights and health, and now they’re going after kids, too. The GOP is taking away essential care in our communities, targeting doctors and nurses, and leaving parents with fewer options for their children. I’ll continue to fight back against the Republicans’ anti-women and anti-parent agenda.”

California Women’s Caucus Chair and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry Says

“This isn’t just politics, it’s personal. In towns like mine, all across California, Planned Parenthood is often the only place people can go to get basic health care. Defunding them means eliminating health services for people who already don’t have enough. One in four Californians has counted on Planned Parenthood to provide cancer and wellness screenings, family planning and birth control, behavioral health, STI testing, and so much more. That’s over $300 million cut from Medi-Cal, which annually funds over a million patient visits. We’re talking about people struggling to get by—people with low incomes, no insurance, and nowhere else to go. These cuts will hurt women, their families, and communities throughout our state. California’s not going to sit back while Washington plays politics with people’s lives. We’re going to fight like hell to keep these doors open so our people can get the care they need."

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California CEO Jodi Hicks Says

“The Planned Parenthood defunding by Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration is an attack on our values: on Planned Parenthood’s commitment to provide care, no matter what; and on California’s promise of reproductive freedom for all. Because Planned Parenthood is one of the largest providers of family planning and abortion in California, the impacts of the federal defunding will reverberate throughout the state — impacting our most vulnerable communities in urban and rural regions alike. Planned Parenthood in California will continue to fight back against this unjust defund, and work with state leaders to ensure every Californian can access the reproductive health care they need and deserve.”

Trump, Republican Attack on Women’s Health Leads to Closures, Reduced Services

President Trump’s H.R. 1 stripped all Planned Parenthood health centers of federal Medicaid reimbursements, slashing more than $305 million in funding from California alone. 

These centers already do not receive federal reimbursement for abortion services under current federal law. Trump’s new law, signed on July 4, is a politically motivated attack on women, their health care and rights, and Planned Parenthood, including the full spectrum of health services it provides, such as essential prenatal care, birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more. 

On July 28, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the provision in Trump’s law that unconstitutionally defunds Planned Parenthood. But uncertainty remains.

California will continue to support reproductive health services. The state budget passed by the Assembly rejected proposed cuts to Planned Parenthood and women’s health clinics. On July 29, Attorney General Rob Bonta and 22 other states filed a separate lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Trump and Republicans’ law. And Proposition 35, passed by voters in 2024, bolsters Medi-Cal and contains an additional $90 million dedicated to reproductive health services.

Planned Parenthood health centers in California account for 1.3 million patient visits each year, representing one-third of all Planned Parenthood patients nationwide. One in four Californians has received care from Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is also the largest provider of reproductive and preventive health care in the state’s Medi-Cal and Family PACT programs. 

###

For more information, follow Speaker Robert Rivas at the following social media channels:

Instagram: @caspeakerrivas

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CASpeakerRivas/