Sign-on Letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Coalition of Organizations Oppose the Administration's Decision to Incinerate Nearly $10 million Worth of Contraception

September 12, 2025

The Honorable Marco Rubio Secretary

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street Northwest

Washington, D.C. 20541

Dear Secretary Rubio,

The undersigned organizations write to strongly oppose the administration’s cruel and wasteful decision to incinerate nearly $10 million dollars’ worth of contraception. These supplies are safe, effective, and wanted. To destroy them would follow a destructive pattern of wasting millions in taxpayer dollars while denying people lifesaving commodities, such as the 500 tons of food that the administration let spoil earlier this year and then paid to incinerate rather than provide to hungry people. Now, the administration is at a similar crossroads with birth control already purchased by American taxpayers. These health care supplies could provide women the ability to make decisions about their own bodies, lives, and futures, but instead the administration wants to spend at least $167,000 to destroy them.

These lifesaving supplies were intended for distribution to women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, including those fleeing conflict or unable to afford care. Right now, women and girls around the world are desperately seeking out contraception and facing empty shelves.

Meanwhile, this administration is choosing to spend taxpayer dollars to destroy effective health and medical supplies that are wanted and needed and that could save and transform lives.

Many of these supplies do not expire until 2031, with the earliest expiration date in 2027, and the United States government has rejected numerous offers to buy or ship the supplies all while spreading deliberate misinformation about contraception.

Family planning is lifesaving, time-sensitive, essential health care which enables all people to flourish. Expanding access to contraception improves women’s health, reduces maternal and child mortality, prevents HIV, and enables women and girls to pursue educational and economic opportunities. An estimated 214 million women in low- and middle-income countries who want to avoid pregnancy currently have an unmet need for modern contraception. The harm of the administration destroying $9.7 million worth of contraceptives is significant and devastating and will cause 362,000 more unintended pregnancies, 110,000 more unsafe abortions, and 718 more preventable maternal deaths.

Despite the administration’s claims, these birth control pills, IUDs, implants, and injectables have not been destroyed. It is not too late to do the right thing. The administration must immediately halt plans to destroy these contraceptive supplies. We urge you to do everything you can to ensure lifesaving commodities, including contraception, reach people in need.

Sincerely,

Abortion Access Front All* Above All

American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Jewish World Service

American Public Health Association Americans for Contraception Amnesty International USA Arizonans For Reproductive Freedom Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network AVAC

Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice California Latinas for Reproductive Justice

California National Organization for Women (CA NOW) Center for Biological Diversity

Center of Reproductive Rights Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues

Columbia NOW, National Organization for Women, SC Condon Edwards Family Law

Council for Global Equality CPIC NOW

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF-USA) EngenderHealth

Equality California Feminist Majority FFRF Action Fund Fos Feminista Gender Justice Global Health Council Group Care Global Guttmacher Institute

Ibis Reproductive Health Indivisible Northern Nevada

International Center for Research on Women International Planned Parenthood Federation Interruptrr

Ipas

Kent Street Coalition

League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County, NY Medical Students for Choice

MomsRising

MSI Reproductive Choices National Abortion Federation

National Association of Hispanic Nurses National Council of Jewish Women

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice National Organization for Women

National Organization for Women Foundation National Women’s Law Center

National Women’s Political Caucus Oregonizers

PAI

Palmetto State Abortion Fund Partners in Abortion Care People Power United

PFLAG National

Physicians for Reproductive Health Plan C

Planned Parenthood Federation of America Population Connection Action Fund Population Council

Population Institute

Positive Women’s Network-USA Progress Florida

ProgressNow New Mexico Reproaction

Reproductive Freedom for All Reproductive Health Access Project Reproductive Health Network Kenya SHERo Mississippi

SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change Silver State Equality

T-Time Support Universal Access Project UnmutedCo.

Voices of Health Care Action Women’s Refugee Commission

Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network