---
title: "Pro-life coalition letter to Senate Majority Leader Thune urging a ten-year defunding of Planned Parenthood via reconciliation"
description: "Coalition letter from Live Action, April 22, 2026, to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Members of the Senate. Composite 3/12 — incrementalist by implication. “enacting a ten-year prohibition on federal funding no later than July 4, 2026”"
type: "letter"
letter_id: "PL-2026-004"
date: "2026-04-22"
letter_type: "Coalition letter"
lead_org: "Live Action"
recipient: "Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Members of the Senate"
topic: "Abortion-provider funding restriction / reconciliation"
shortfall_type: "incrementalist_by_implication"
composite: 3
verification: "primary"
signature_rows: 39
primary_url: "https://nrlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/26-0422-Senate-Letter-Defund.pdf"
source_url: "https://www.abhortion.org/letters/pl-2026-004.html"
---

# Pro-life coalition letter to Senate Majority Leader Thune urging a ten-year defunding of Planned Parenthood via reconciliation

**Coalition letter** · April 22, 2026 · Incrementalist by implication · composite 3 / 12 · Primary source

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Letter ID | PL-2026-004 |
| Date | April 22, 2026 |
| Lead organization | [Live Action](../letters/orgs/o011.md) |
| Recipient | Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Members of the Senate |
| Topic | Abortion-provider funding restriction / reconciliation |
| Type | Coalition letter |
| Verification | Primary source |
| Signature rows | 39 (39 reported) |
| Completeness | Complete from letter text |

## Key language

> “enacting a ten-year prohibition on federal funding no later than July 4, 2026” — Live Action, April 22, 2026

## Scorecard

Composite **3 of 12** — incrementalist by implication. Each dimension is scored 0 (none), 1 (implied) or 2 (explicit); the rationale is the editor's one-line reason for every non-zero score. D2 and D4 are the fault line the abolitionist critique cares most about.

| Dimension | Score | Meaning at this score | Rationale |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| D1 Exceptions | 0 | None | — |
| D2 Immunity for the mother (fault line) | 0 | None | — |
| D3 Incrementalism | 1 | By implication — a funding, drug, research, Hyde or Title X letter that takes no abolition position | Seeks regulation/defunding/enforcement rather than abolition; takes no position on equal protection. |
| D4 Opposition to abolition or equal-protection bills (fault line) | 0 | None | — |
| D5 Framing | 0 | None | — |
| D6 Secular framing | 2 | Wholly secular, legal, fiscal, medical or political argument | Argued on fiscal, legal, medical or political grounds rather than Scripture/Gospel. |

## Signatories

39 signature rows · 39 reported by the letter · **Complete from letter text.** Full signature block transcribed from the letter itself. Rows are transcribed as printed, in printed order.

| # | Name as printed | Title as printed | Organization as printed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Lila Rose](../letters/people/i0011.md) | Founder & President | [Live Action](../letters/orgs/o011.md) |
| 2 | [Marjorie Dannenfelser](../letters/people/i0001.md) | President | [Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America](../letters/orgs/o001.md) |
| 3 | [Carol Tobias](../letters/people/i0079.md) | President | [National Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o074.md) |
| 4 | [Jennie Bradley Lichter](../letters/people/i0206.md) | President | [March for Life Action](../letters/orgs/o002.md) |
| 5 | [Kelsey Reinhardt](../letters/people/i0437.md) | President | [Catholic Vote](../letters/orgs/o124.md) |
| 6 | [Kristan Hawkins](../letters/people/i0008.md) | President | [Students for Life Action](../letters/orgs/o008.md) |
| 7 | [Dr. Gary Hollingsworth](../letters/people/i0147.md) | Interim President | [The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission](../letters/orgs/o076.md) |
| 8 | [Abby Johnson](../letters/people/i0323.md) | CEO & Founder | [And Then There Were None](../letters/orgs/o420.md) |
| 9 | [Jeff Bradford](../letters/people/i0154.md) | President | [Human Coalition](../letters/orgs/o031.md) |
| 10 | [Terry Schilling](../letters/people/i0115.md) | President | [American Principles Project](../letters/orgs/o010.md) |
| 11 | [Kelly Kullberg](../letters/people/i0438.md) | General Secretary | [American Association of Evangelicals (AAE)](../letters/orgs/o421.md) |
| 12 | [Noah Brandt](../letters/people/i0439.md) | Executive Director | [Live Action Victory](../letters/orgs/o422.md) |
| 13 | [Lauren Pope](../letters/people/i0219.md) | Executive Director | [Rehumanize International](../letters/orgs/o183.md) |
| 14 | [Lauren Muzyka](../letters/people/i0031.md) | President & CEO | [Sidewalk Advocates for Life](../letters/orgs/o029.md) |
| 15 | [Elizabeth Edmonds](../letters/people/i0425.md) | Executive Director | [Georgia Life Alliance](../letters/orgs/o046.md) |
| 16 | [Lynda Bell](../letters/people/i0440.md) | President | [Florida Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o236.md) |
| 17 | [Jenn Lee](../letters/people/i0441.md) | Executive Director | [South Dakota Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o258.md) |
| 18 | [Dr. John Seago](../letters/people/i0185.md) | President | [Texas Right To Life](../letters/orgs/o156.md) |
| 19 | [Bridget Turbide](../letters/people/i0209.md) | Executive Director | [North Dakota Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o172.md) |
| 20 | [Kristi Judkins](../letters/people/i0442.md) | Executive Director | [Iowa Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o049.md) |
| 21 | [Timothy Kingston](../letters/people/i0443.md) | President | [Maryland Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o271.md) |
| 22 | [Myrna Maloney Flynn](../letters/people/i0208.md) | President | [Massachusetts Citizens for Life](../letters/orgs/o171.md) |
| 23 | [Cathy Blaeser](../letters/people/i0444.md) | Co-Executive Director | [Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life](../letters/orgs/o238.md) |
| 24 | [Susan Klein](../letters/people/i0163.md) | Executive Director | [Missouri Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o139.md) |
| 25 | [Melissa Clement](../letters/people/i0445.md) | President | [Nevada Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o241.md) |
| 26 | [Marie Tasy](../letters/people/i0231.md) | Executive Director | [New Jersey Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o194.md) |
| 27 | [Bill Pincus, M.D.](../letters/people/i0446.md) | President | [North Carolina Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o423.md) |
| 28 | [Stacy Dunn](../letters/people/i0447.md) | President | [Tennessee Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o182.md) |
| 29 | [Barth E. Bracy](../letters/people/i0448.md) | Executive Director | [Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee](../letters/orgs/o252.md) |
| 30 | [Heather Weininger](../letters/people/i0449.md) | Executive Director | [Wisconsin Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o424.md) |
| 31 | [Christian McGrew](../letters/people/i0450.md) | President and Founder | [Defending Life Alliance of Florida](../letters/orgs/o425.md) |
| 32 | [Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams](../letters/people/i0451.md) | State Representative | [Wyoming House of Representatives](../letters/orgs/o426.md) |
| 33 | [Senator Erin Grall](../letters/people/i0452.md) | State Senator | [Florida State Senate](../letters/orgs/o427.md) |
| 34 | [Dr. William Lile, D.O., FACOG](../letters/people/i0453.md) | Founder | [ProLifeDoc.org](../letters/orgs/o428.md) |
| 35 | [Steven Ertelt](../letters/people/i0022.md) | Editor | [LifeNews.com](../letters/orgs/o021.md) |
| 36 | [Kathi A. Aultman, MD FACOG](../letters/people/i0454.md) | — | Own name |
| 37 | [John T. Bruchalski, M.D.](../letters/people/i0455.md) | Founder, Tepeyac Family Center; President | [Divine Mercy Care](../letters/orgs/o429.md) |
| 38 | [Paul Teller](../letters/people/i0189.md) | President | [Teller Strategies](../letters/orgs/o159.md) |
| 39 | [Rep. April Cromer](../letters/people/i0456.md) | State Representative | [South Carolina House of Representatives](../letters/orgs/o430.md) |

## Organizations on this letter

38 distinct organizations and 39 named individuals, after normalizing renamed and affiliated entities.

- [Live Action](../letters/orgs/o011.md) — Advocacy or other
- [Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America](../letters/orgs/o001.md) — Advocacy or other
- [National Right to Life Committee](../letters/orgs/o074.md) — Right-to-life group
- [March for Life](../letters/orgs/o002.md) — Right-to-life group
- [CatholicVote](../letters/orgs/o124.md) — Advocacy or other
- [Students for Life of America](../letters/orgs/o008.md) — Right-to-life group
- [Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission](../letters/orgs/o076.md) — Religious body
- [And Then There Were None](../letters/orgs/o420.md) — Advocacy or other
- [Human Coalition](../letters/orgs/o031.md) — Advocacy or other
- [American Principles Project](../letters/orgs/o010.md) — Advocacy or other
- [American Association of Evangelicals (AAE)](../letters/orgs/o421.md) — Advocacy or other
- [Live Action Victory](../letters/orgs/o422.md) — Advocacy or other
- [Rehumanize International](../letters/orgs/o183.md) — Advocacy or other
- [Sidewalk Advocates for Life](../letters/orgs/o029.md) — Right-to-life group
- [Georgia Life Alliance](../letters/orgs/o046.md) — Advocacy or other, GA
- [Florida Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o236.md) — Right-to-life group, FL
- [South Dakota Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o258.md) — Right-to-life group, SD
- [Texas Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o156.md) — Right-to-life group, TX
- [North Dakota Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o172.md) — Right-to-life group, ND
- [Iowa Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o049.md) — Right-to-life group, IA
- [Maryland Right to Life, Inc.](../letters/orgs/o271.md) — Right-to-life group, MD
- [Massachusetts Citizens for Life](../letters/orgs/o171.md) — Right-to-life group, MA
- [Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life](../letters/orgs/o238.md) — Right-to-life group, MN
- [Missouri Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o139.md) — Right-to-life group, MO
- [Nevada Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o241.md) — Right-to-life group, NV
- [New Jersey Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o194.md) — Right-to-life group, NJ
- [North Carolina Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o423.md) — Right-to-life group, NC
- [Tennessee Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o182.md) — Right-to-life group, TN
- [Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee](../letters/orgs/o252.md) — Right-to-life group, RI
- [Wisconsin Right to Life](../letters/orgs/o424.md) — Right-to-life group, WI
- [Defending Life Alliance of Florida](../letters/orgs/o425.md) — Advocacy or other, FL
- [Wyoming House of Representatives](../letters/orgs/o426.md) — Political party or office, WY
- [Florida State Senate](../letters/orgs/o427.md) — Political party or office, FL
- [ProLifeDoc.org](../letters/orgs/o428.md) — Advocacy or other
- [LifeNews.com](../letters/orgs/o021.md) — Media
- [Divine Mercy Care](../letters/orgs/o429.md) — Advocacy or other
- [Teller Strategies](../letters/orgs/o159.md) — Advocacy or other
- [South Carolina House of Representatives](../letters/orgs/o430.md) — Political party or office, SC

## Sources

- [nrlc.org/wp-content/uploads/…](https://nrlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/26-0422-Senate-Letter-Defund.pdf) — Primary source (https://nrlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/26-0422-Senate-Letter-Defund.pdf)
- [liveaction.org/news/pro-life-coali…](https://www.liveaction.org/news/pro-life-coalition-defund-big-abortion-decade) — secondary (https://www.liveaction.org/news/pro-life-coalition-defund-big-abortion-decade)
- [foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-…](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-planned-parenthood-set-massive-taxpayer-windfall-senate-fails-act) — secondary (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-planned-parenthood-set-massive-taxpayer-windfall-senate-fails-act)

## Notes

39 signature slots including four state legislators and physicians signing in their own name.

## Editorial note

The rubric records distance from the standard published by Abolitionists Rising, not a moral verdict; every organization scored here regards itself as pro-life. Scores are judgment calls applied consistently by the published rubric.