Oregon Democratic Lawmakers Form Work Group to Brainstorm Abortion Access Policy

Oregon’s legislative Democrats are once again looking for ways to strengthen abortion access in the wake of federal funding cuts to abortion providers. Oregon already has some of the strongest abortion protections in the country. The state has no restrictions on how far along a person must be in their pregnancy to get an abortion, and the state requires that most health insurance providers cover an abortion at no cost to a patient.

Funding Crisis and Medicaid Reimbursements

After President Donald Trump signed a federal budget law that defunds Planned Parenthood by cutting access to Medicaid reimbursements, Democrats in the Oregon House of Representatives are forming a work group focused on brainstorming ways to reimburse Oregon’s Planned Parenthood affiliates for the services they provide. Despite lawsuits against the new rule, Planned Parenthood affiliates across the U.S. as of Sept. 12 are blocked from receiving Medicaid reimbursements after a federal three-judge panel ruled the Trump administration can enforce its provision in the massive spending and tax bill blocking reimbursements.

Planned Parenthood affiliates in Oregon relied on nearly $17 million in Medicaid reimbursements in the 2024 fiscal year. None of that federal funding could be used for abortions under longstanding federal policy that blocks government funding for abortion services, but it paid for cancer screenings, treating sexually transmitted diseases, birth control and gynecological services for low-income people.

Goals of the Legislative Work Group

Work group will focus on how state can reimburse Planned Parenthood for services. “There are significant budget implications of H.R. 1 that will impact Oregonians’ access to healthcare,” Rep. Andrea Valderrama told the Capital Chronicle. This work group will focus on determining what, if any, policy changes are necessary to create a sustainable funding mechanism and accountability framework that ensures Planned Parenthood can keep its doors open in Oregon and that Oregonians can maintain access to their healthcare.

The lawmakers in the work group will meet in early October. The group will then present a report of their findings and legislative recommendations ahead of the 2026 legislative session. This effort follows a similar work group in 2023 which resulted in a law protecting doctors from prosecution for providing gender-affirming care and abortion care.

Key Work Group Participants

• House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard
• Andrea Valderrama, D-Portland
• April Dobson, D-Happy Valley
• Sue Rieke Smith, D-King City
• Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem
• Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, D-Aloha

The work group will also include representatives from Oregon Planned Parenthood affiliates.

Planned Parenthood Service Statistics

Most of what Planned Parenthood does is unrelated to abortion. According to the national nonprofit’s annual report, the breakdown of the 9.4 million services provided in 2024 includes:

• Sexually transmitted infections: Over half of those services were dedicated to testing and treating STIs.
• Birth control: Followed STI services as a primary focus.
• Abortions: Abortions made up 4% of total services.

Political Perspectives and Fact-Checking

“The Trump administration and the Republican Party are trying to strip away access to abortion,” House Majority Leader Ben Bowman said in a statement. “We will not let that happen in Oregon.” Conversely, Oregon Right to Life Executive Director Lois Anderson criticized the new work group, stating, “Lawmakers should be focused on lifting up Oregon moms and families with life-affirming solutions.”

Addressing specific claims about procedures, Kristi Scdoris, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette spokesperson, told the Capital Chronicle that Planned Parenthood doesn’t provide abortions up until birth. It will provide abortions up to the second trimester based on the health of pregnant — and that’s in rare cases.