When Planned Parenthood closes two facilities in Houston, Texas, this fall, pro-life advocates view it as a significant win amid an ongoing campaign against the organization by Republican lawmakers.
Shawn Carney, CEO of 40 Days for Life and a Houston resident, shared in an interview that he feels both personally and professionally uplifted by the news. He pointed out that one of the closed sites is the largest abortion facility in the Western Hemisphere.
“This is big for the pro-life movement, indicating the direction Planned Parenthood is taking,” he noted. The Gulf Coast branch of Planned Parenthood, which runs six clinics in the Houston area and two more in Louisiana, ceased operations at its Prevention Park and Southwest Center on September 30. Other facilities in Houston are set to be taken over by the organization’s largest Texas affiliate.
Planned Parenthood is also selling its Manhattan Health Center for $39 million amid facility closures across several states, including New York. Following the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that reversed Roe v. Wade, states like Texas have halted many abortion procedures.
“Now they’re closing the world’s largest abortion facility,” Carney remarked about the Houston location. “It’s significant. They were very proud of it, and now it’s finally shut down.”
The organization cited high operational costs, staffing shortages, and low reimbursement rates as reasons for the closures. In recent years, Texas GOP officials have sought to limit Planned Parenthood’s operations despite near-total bans on abortions in the state.
The Trump administration aimed to cut funding to the organization, which could spell the end for more facilities. New rules would terminate Medicaid payments to abortion providers that received significant funding in 2023.
A judge recently granted an interim injunction to prevent the temporary ban on abortion services or the reduction of Medicaid payments to organizations that do not meet specific revenue thresholds.
Carney emphasized that his group has been active in the area since 2006, praying and providing alternatives outside Houston’s facilities. “We’ve had a pro-life bus offering free ultrasounds. Many lives were saved, but it felt overwhelming. No matter what, they seemed unstoppable,” he reflected.
He viewed the facility’s closure as a “risky victory” for the pro-life cause, indicating a significant achievement in the movement. Carney pointed to a shift in power back to local grassroots activism rather than top-heavy organizational influence based in Washington, D.C.
“What we’re seeing with Houston and New York is that they’re more vulnerable than ever,” he remarked. “There’s a lot of talk about serving women and helping those in need, but this is the reality of the situation.”
