On Sunday, Susan Shelley, an opinion columnist for this publication, asserted that “there is no horrific war on women in Washington, D.C.,” after a series of complaints about First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Ma’am, I hate to break it to you, but even if you do not personally feel that your rights are threatened, your reality is not the reality of 130,000 patients in Orange and San Bernardino Counties and of millions of women nationwide. To claim otherwise is wishful thinking at best.

I had the honor of attending the bill signing that Ms. Shelley wrote about, and I would like to address misconceptions she and others may have about the $90 million in state funds appropriated for reproductive healthcare in California last week.

Ms. Shelley correctly noted that Planned Parenthood cannot use federal funds for abortion care under the Hyde Amendment. This is still the case – but she neglected to mention that Planned Parenthood is the backbone of reproductive health care in the Medi-Cal system, which is how nearly 38% of California residents get their healthcare coverage. And as of July 2025, we aren’t just barred from federal funds for abortion – we are barred from reimbursement from federal funds for anything  – including birth control, cancer screening, or STI testing/treatment.

That is why this $90 million in grants to Planned Parenthood health centers across the state, earmarked for family planning services for Medi-Cal and Family PACT patients, is so critical. In California, more than 80% of patients who come to Planned Parenthood for essential health care are enrolled in Medi-Cal. Since the Trump administration and its allies in Congress “defunded” Planned Parenthood in H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, many Medi-Cal patients are being denied access to the only provider they are able to see for lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment, vaccines, and more.

Republicans in Congress knew what they were doing when they passed H.R. 1. They knew that if they could block funding to Planned Parenthood, they could target Reproductive Freedom states like California, where Planned Parenthood health centers are a major part of the healthcare safety net. Congressional Republicans have accepted, without hesitation, the fact that millions of people could lose access to basic sexual and reproductive health care. Our patients’ lives have become collateral in the Republican’s narrow-minded and unpopular crusade against abortion.

Another fact Ms. Shelley neglected to mention: this state funding comes after we were forced to close our primary healthcare division, Melody Health, due entirely to federal defunding. Perhaps she would like to inform the 13,000 patients who lost their primary care doctor, and access to diabetes treatment, behavioral health, and cancer screenings six days a week, that nothing has changed and that their rights are not under attack.

Planned Parenthood providers and patients are deeply grateful to the Governor, and so many incredible members of the California Legislature, for taking swift and decisive action to ensure people across California can continue to access critical reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood health centers. But while Governor Newsom and the Legislature have taken the boldest and most significant action in the nation to protect access to vital health care amid the ongoing federal “defund,” this fight is far from over.

Related Articles

H.R. 1 will continue to undermine Medi-Cal in two ways, beyond defunding Planned Parenthood. In addition to restrictions aimed at blocking billions in federal funding for California patients, it creates eligibility and access barriers that will strip people of needed healthcare coverage. Ironically, this means that more patients will turn to Planned Parenthood as they lose coverage through ACA Covered California plans, and more patients will no longer be covered under Medi-Cal. And the fact is, if Planned Parenthood were shut down, the remaining community clinics in the Medi-Cal system would be unable to absorb our patients, full stop.

With H.R. 1, the federal government turned their back on Americans. California leaders are stepping in and stepping up, fulfilling a promise they made to voters in November 2022. Ms. Shelley may or may not remember that is when more than two thirds of voters in our state approved the ballot initiative codifying access to reproductive health care, including contraception, in our state constitution.

This state funding is necessary for the health of Californians, and for our future. We are committed to protecting reproductive freedom and ensuring that patients across the Golden State  can continue to access the health care they need and deserve, no matter what, including at Planned Parenthood health centers. We hope that our fellow Californians will join us in this fight.

Krista Hollinger is the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties.