Parliamentarian nixes megabill language prohibiting subsidies for health plans with abortion services

President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” ran into another block as the Parliamentarian of the United States Senate weighed in on language affecting health plans.

“The Senate parliamentarian ruled Wednesday to reject Republican language in the Senate megabill that would prohibit federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from going to qualified health plans that cover abortion services,” The Hill reported.

“The Republican language in the bill would restrict the ACA’s cost-sharing subsidies from lowering the costs of plans that cover abortion services in about a dozen states, according to the Commonwealth Fund, an independent health research and policy group,” the outlet added.

New: Senate parliamentarian ruled against a number of Senate HELP provisions in GOP’s reconciliation bill. Includes some student loan changes & restrictions on $ going to health plans covering abortion services, per Senate Budget Dems

More on the rulings: https://t.co/4MwRLTM6lz pic.twitter.com/ldXyoKvj33

— Laura Weiss (@LauraEWeiss16) June 26, 2025

Citing the Commonwealth Fund analysis, The Hill noted that the “provision would have had an ‘outsized impact’ on states such as Connecticut, Michigan and New Mexico, where insurers now cover abortion services voluntarily but would have incentive to drop abortion coverage to become eligible for federal cost-sharing payment under the Republican proposal.”

The rejected measure was in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee section of the megabill but reportedly did not pass the Byrd Rule. Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has already recommended that key parts of the GOP bill be removed because of purported violations of the chamber’s rules.

Democrats celebrated the many provisions that are being rejected.

“Republicans shouldn’t get away with circumventing the rules of reconciliation,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the leading Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee.

“Democrats are fighting hard against Republicans’ plans to increase out-of-pocket healthcare costs and restrict access to reproductive care,” Merkley added. “Republicans are scrambling to rewrite parts of this bill to continue advancing their families lose and billionaires win agenda, but Democrats stand ready to fully scrutinize any changes.”

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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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