- Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s move to defund Planned Parenthood through Medicaid.
- Planned Parenthood warns up to 200 clinics could shut down if funding is cut.
- Pro-life leaders slam ruling as “judicial overreach,” while the case heads to court amid rising national debate.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a key provision of President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” that aimed to stop taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood through Medicaid.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, issued a Temporary Restraining Order just hours after Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit. The order puts the provision on hold for 14 days and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure Planned Parenthood continues receiving Medicaid funding during that time.
The lawsuit argues the provision unfairly targets Planned Parenthood, even though the bill doesn’t name the group directly. Because of how the rules are written, Planned Parenthood is currently the only provider affected.
The organization claims that nearly 200 clinics could be at risk of closure if the funding is halted. “Many Planned Parenthood Members will be required to lay off staff and curtail services… Members may be forced to shutter a substantial number of their health centers,” the lawsuit states.
While federal funds cannot legally pay for abortions under the Hyde Amendment—except in rare cases—pro-life advocates argue no taxpayer money should support groups that provide abortions at all.
A White House official responded: “The Trump Administration is ending the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion – a commonsense position that the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) called the ruling “an abuse of judicial power,” while Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) said Congress controls the purse—not “activist judges.”
The case—Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—will now proceed through the courts, as the national debate over abortion, Medicaid, and judicial power heats up once again.