Just days after Trump signed the controversial “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law, a federal judge stepped in and hit pause on a key piece of the legislation—one that would have slashed Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a 14-day temporary restraining order that stops the federal government from pulling Medicaid support from the reproductive health provider. The judge told the Department of Health and Human Services to keep funding flowing while the court reviews the lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood.
The bill doesn’t name Planned Parenthood directly, but it targets any organization “primarily engaged in family planning” that also provides abortions. Planned Parenthood argues that this provision is a direct attack, calling it an unconstitutional attempt to punish the group for offering abortion services—despite federal law already barring Medicaid from covering abortions except in extreme cases.
Here’s the catch: more than half of Planned Parenthood’s patients rely on Medicaid—not for abortions, but for essential care like cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing. The lawsuit warns that stripping away that funding would force layoffs, reduce services, and even close clinics—especially in underserved communities where options are already limited.
In their statement, Planned Parenthood and affiliates in Massachusetts and Utah said they were “grateful” for the judge’s quick action to protect patients and providers.
But the Trump administration isn’t backing down. A White House official said the law reflects a “commonsense” approach to stop taxpayer dollars from supporting what they call “elective abortions.”
Anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America doubled down, accusing Planned Parenthood of running to the courts to “fix a crisis of their own making.”
Meanwhile, the legal war over reproductive rights continues. Just last month, the Supreme Court allowed South Carolina to block Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program—though that ruling doesn’t directly affect the current case.
For now, Medicaid funds continue flowing to Planned Parenthood. But with the restraining order set to expire in 14 days, another legal showdown is just around the corner.
