Controversial executive orders have been a hallmark of Donald Trump's young presidency, but it's worth noting that there is one that he has so far refrained from issuing. During the presidential campaign, Trump said he would "defund" — that is, stop providing federal funding to — Planned Parenthood. He can advance that goal by executive order if he wants.

The federal government does not generally pay for abortions. But the government is the largest source of funds for Planned Parenthood, which performs more abortions than any other organization in the U.S. The second fact has made opponents of abortion want to change the first fact.

In recent years, they have sought legislation to accomplish this goal. But the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush believed that existing legislation allowed the executive branch to cut off a significant portion of that funding, and their arguments held up in court.