Congressional Democrats are escalating pressure on the Trump administration to restore tens of millions of dollars in teen pregnancy prevention funding that was abruptly terminated last week. Lawmakers in both chambers argue the cancellations defy congressional intent and jeopardize proven public health programs.
In the House, 79 Democrats—led by members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus—sent a letter Thursday to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding a detailed justification for the cuts and an accounting of how the reclaimed money will be used.
“Redirecting funding from the TPP program jeopardizes access to the high-quality health education, support, and resources that Congress intended,” the caucus wrote. The letter warned that “abrupt and arbitrary disruptions on grounds unrelated to the core aims of the TPP program undermine the ability of the program to serve its congressionally intended purpose.”
HHS terminated approximately $68 million in grants last week, stating that the programs no longer aligned with agency priorities. Officials said many of the grants were canceled because they “normalized or promoted sexual activity for minors.” The Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, housed under the HHS Office of Population Affairs, is an evidence-based initiative that funds organizations to reduce sexual risk behaviors, sexually transmitted infections, and unintended teen pregnancies.
An HHS spokesperson confirmed that the reclaimed funds will be redirected into two new grant opportunities, but those awards will not be made until 2027—a timeline that Democrats say effectively stalls critical services for years.
The House letter specifically asks Kennedy to explain why each terminated grant fails to align with both agency priorities and the direction Congress gave when it appropriated the money. The request echoes concerns raised separately by Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, who also demanded reinstatement Thursday.
“Your decision to terminate this funding squarely aligns with your department’s established pattern of rejecting evidence and science, ignoring Congressional intent, and undermining the ability of people to make their own healthcare decisions,” the senators wrote. They pointed out that Congress allocated $101 million for the grants in the most recent bipartisan government funding bill.
The senators also highlighted a troubling political subtext: “Allies of the president have increasingly suggested that declining teen birth rates are a ‘problem.’ It appears this administration may agree with that assessment as you cancel funding for these proven programs.”
The controversy comes as the administration faces broader criticism over its approach to health policy. In a related development, a recent poll found that only 45% of Democrats express pride in American citizenship, reflecting deep partisan divides over governance and public trust.
Democrats have also been active on other fronts, including targeting the affordability crisis with local policy wins ahead of the midterms. The fight over teen pregnancy grants is shaping up as another flashpoint in the broader battle over federal health funding and executive authority.
