March 27, 2025 was Big Abortion Lobby Day, in which pro-lifers gathered both in and outside the walls of Congress united in their mission to call for the defunding of Planned Parenthood — America’s largest abortion business — and the protection of both mothers and the unborn. Students for Life of America (SFLA) coordinated the event, with support pouring in from members of Congress, pro-life activists, Family Research Council, and several other prominent groups, all joining the ranks to amplify the call for change.

Outside the Halls of Government

During a press conference behind the Capitol, speakers passionately voiced their opposition to abortion, emphasizing that not a single taxpayer dime should have ever gone toward Planned Parenthood. As Charlotte Lozier Institute has researched, the equivalent of roughly $2 million in taxpayer dollars flows to the abortion giant daily. Still, pro-lifers flooding the Capitol grounds were equally boisterous in their cry: it’s not too late to change course. And with each new speaker, fresh reasons emerged for why this course correction must happen now.

As Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) emphasized, Planned Parenthood pushes a “dreadful and deadly” agenda. More than that, she insisted, they put on a mask of being “pro-woman” while simultaneously lying to them and purposefully withholding the truth about the risks involved with abortion. Perhaps there’s no greater example than what Toni McFadden, a pro-life activist, shared today.

As an afraid and pregnant high schooler, she found herself inside a Planned Parenthood facility. According to Toni, the abortion giant pushed her to get an abortion and even tried to encourage her by saying it could be kept secret from her parents. She was told that her pea-sized, seven-week-old baby was “nothing,” and that moving forward with the chemical abortion would be “just like a heavy period.” But years later, Toni still carries both the physical and emotional pain that has been seared into her memory as a victim of Planned Parenthood’s harmful agenda.

But it’s not just Planned Parenthood pushing the deceptive narrative. According to Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), also known as “Coach,” Democrats are the ones guilty of having “found loopholes” to force this “agenda onto the backs of taxpayers.”

“Zero taxpayer dollars should be used to fund abortion,” he insisted. “Zero.” Labeling Planned Parenthood a “baby-killing machine” that makes “a profit by chopping up … babies,” he called it “sick and wrong,” and stressed that the government’s “basic duty is to defend life, not destroy it.” Tuberville vowed to work with colleagues to defund Planned Parenthood, stand for life, and serve taxpayers well. Speaking to The Washington Stand, he added that this has “been a long time coming,” and he praised the many standing before the Capitol to echo this message.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) pulled no punches, calling Planned Parenthood “Child Abuse Incorporated.” He urged advocates to seize this opportunity — especially under a historically pro-life presidential administration — to demand change. As Students for Life of America (SFLA) President Kristan Hawkins told TWS, “The pro-life movement is united in this effort. We’ve made it very loud and clear with the 100 plus people … lobbying on Capitol Hill [today], [including the many] who couldn’t even come down, that we are united in this goal.” She emphasized, “The grassroots momentum is there, and we just have to prove it to the GOP that we mean it when we say, ‘Do your job, defund Planned Parenthood.’”

Echoing this, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins declared that the “winds of change are blowing across America,” and “now is the time to defund Planned Parenthood.” Perkins called out Planned Parenthood for its “fraud, waste, and abuse.” It’s a “chop-shop for babies,” he proclaimed, adding that the group continues to leach money from hardworking Americans. As long as Planned Parenthood remains government-funded, Perkins warned, it is “killing America’s opportunity to be great again.”

Inside the Halls of Government

From early morning into the afternoon, lobbyists peacefully walked from office to office, discussing with officials the vast sums flowing to Planned Parenthood and why the pipeline must be shut off.

TWS joined a meeting with Rep. Dan Meuser’s (R-Pa.) office, where staff strongly vocalized support for the pro-life movement and a willingness to listen. Rep. Mark Harris (R-N.C.) told TWS, “Without respect for the dignity of all people,” he said, “our founding principles are meaningless. For decades, these basic truths in our Constitution, like the right to life and equal protection, have been ignored.”

He noted that “in a post-Dobbs America, we have a historic opportunity to end abortion once and for all.” Harris explained that “there is growing momentum across the country to end the horrific practice of legalized murder,” and he specifically thanked the pro-lifers who came to Capitol Hill as part of that mission. “I’m encouraged that there are so many Americans willing to advocate for life in Washington! Republicans must make the most of our trifecta and deliver wins for the American people — including Americans inside the womb. No more excuses — we must boldly create a culture of life.”

In a similar sentiment, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) shared with TWS that “it is always encouraging to see people from across our nation supporting pro-life policies.” Ultimately, he said, “My faith is central to my work in Congress to uphold the Constitution and protect the right to life and religious freedoms, including preventing American tax dollars from funding abortion. [And] as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I will always fight for life. I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump and House Republicans to advance the right to life and ensure that federal dollars do not go to fund Planned Parenthood.”

Charlotte Lozier Institute’s Tessa Cox explained to TWS that Planned Parenthood “performs nearly 400,000 abortions every year” across “400 abortion centers nationwide,” making it “the biggest abortion provider in America.” She stressed, “They make a lot of money from this.” But Cox highlighted better alternatives: “There are much better health care options for women … including actual health care that Planned Parenthood doesn’t do.” With pregnancy resource centers and other options, she insisted, “We don’t need Planned Parenthood.”

Quena Gonzalez, who leads Family Research Council’s Government Affairs division, told TWS, “As Congress is poised, for the first time since 2017, to defund ‘big abortion’ businesses like Planned Parenthood, it is immensely heartening that so many Americans — around 350 — were willing to come in person to Washington today to ask members of Congress to stop the flow of our taxpayer dollars to the largest abortion providers.” He added, “My team and I work week in and week out with pro-life allies on Capitol Hill to advance the cause of life, but we couldn’t do it without our faithful supporters.”

Tony Perkins summed up the day’s purpose: “It is an abuse of taxpayer dollars to subsidize an entity involved in the taking of 400,000 unborn Americans. … It’s time to end all government funding of organizations like Planned Parenthood.” The Big Abortion Lobby Day made this clear, uniting voices inside and outside Congress in a relentless call to defund Planned Parenthood and protect life.