On April 2, 2025, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono criticized the Trump Administration's decision to halt nearly $35 million in funding for reproductive health care distributed through the Title X Family Planning Program. Senator Hirono stated, “Over 2.7 million patients across the country, and tens of thousands in Hawaii, rely on Title X and I will continue fighting to ensure everyone can continue to access the critical family planning care they need and deserve.”
According to the Senator, the Title X Family Planning Program has, for over fifty years, provided access to vital reproductive care such as wellness exams, cancer screenings, birth control, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. Hirono expressed concern over the impact on low-income and rural communities, as well as on Hawaii’s clinics, which are at risk due to the withholding of funds.
Senator Hirono noted, “The last time he was in office, Trump implemented a dangerous gag rule on providers receiving Title X funding, sowing chaos across the country and forcing Hawaii and other states to cover millions in lost federal family planning funding.” The Senator emphasized that Democrats are working to safeguard Americans' access to family planning and health care services.
Hirono recalled the 2019 gag rule under the Trump Administration, which prevented providers using Title X funds from informing patients about the full range of reproductive health care options. This led to Hawaii exiting the Title X program and many women losing access to services. The Biden Administration later reversed the gag rule in 2021, bringing funding back to Hawaii by January 2022.
Currently, as of April 1, 2025, the Trump Administration has blocked Title X funding entirely in seven states, including Hawaii. In Hawaii, this funding supports 30 clinics and nearly 140 health care workers serving over 12,000 patients. In 2023, more than 2.7 million Americans received family planning services through Title X.
Senator Hirono is a proponent of the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act, which aims to secure a consistent source of funding for these essential services.