A federal judge in Massachusetts has intervened to block a key element of President Donald Trump’s recently signed tax and spending package that would have stripped Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood for one year.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a temporary restraining order on Monday, halting enforcement of a provision buried within the administration’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which was signed into law on July 4.
The contested measure would deny Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide, citing their connection to abortion services—despite federal funds already being prohibited from paying for such procedures.
The legal challenge was brought forward by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the League of Massachusetts and the Association of Utah.
The lawsuit alleges that the provision was crafted specifically to penalize Planned Parenthood for offering services that are lawful and not funded by Medicaid.
“The new law targets Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its member health care providers in order to punish them for lawful activity,” the plaintiffs argued, emphasizing that abortion services are handled outside of federal funding streams.
In its defense, the Trump administration maintains the provision is a legitimate attempt to prevent taxpayer dollars from indirectly supporting abortion-related operations.
A White House official told Fox News Digital that the defunding effort reflects the president’s pro-life values and growing public support for tighter restrictions on abortion providers.
Still, the impact of such a move would be immediate and sweeping, according to reproductive health advocates.
Planned Parenthood warns that over a million low-income patients rely on its clinics for critical services—ranging from STI testing and contraception to cancer screenings—that have nothing to do with abortion.
Dominique Lee, head of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, criticized the administration’s efforts.
“The Trump administration’s hell-bent ambitions to close our clinics and abandon our patients won’t stop us,” Lee said.
“Here in Massachusetts, we fight back, and we will never be bullied into turning our backs on health care or human rights.”
The court’s decision doesn’t resolve the broader legal dispute, but it signals trouble ahead for the administration as the case proceeds.
Judge Talwani’s order prevents the federal government from implementing the Medicaid-related section of the bill until the lawsuit is resolved or further action is taken by the court.
Although the provision targeting Planned Parenthood is just one part of the larger bill—which includes over $170 billion in new funding for border enforcement and significant tax reforms—it has become one of the most politically charged elements.
Critics from across the aisle, including some moderate Republicans, have expressed discomfort with the attempt to cut off healthcare funding under the guise of abortion restrictions.
This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has faced pushback for trying to defund Planned Parenthood.
Previous efforts met similar resistance in federal courts, suggesting the new provision may be headed down a familiar legal path.
For the time being, Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood will remain in effect as the case moves forward through the court
The post Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Provision to Defund Planned Parenthood appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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