Federal judge says Maine abortion business can be defunded

A federal judge on Monday refused to issue a temporary injunction against a provision in the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill that strips Medicaid funding from abortion providers. The ruling comes despite a decision in a separate yet similar lawsuit, in which a judge ruled that Planned Parenthood can continue to receive such Medicaid funds.

Key Takeaways:

• A federal judge ruled that the government has a right to withhold Medicaid reimbursements from a Maine abortion business.

• Last month, Planned Parenthood challenged the same provisions in a similar lawsuit, and a judge ruled that it could continue to receive Medicaid reimbursements.

• Maine Family Planning says it could lose $1.9 million due to the cuts. 

• The state has at least 19 federally qualified health centers which provide healthcare services to Medicaid recipients without committing abortions.

The Details:

Maine Family Planning is an abortion business with 18 facilities in the state. In July, it filed a lawsuit against a provision in the government reconciliation bill that prevents businesses which commit elective abortions from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements. The lawsuit claimed that the provision would shut down Maine Family Planning centers, resulting in people being unable to access healthcare.

In the Monday ruling, Judge Lance Walker of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine said it was within the right of lawmakers to withhold federal money in order to "disassociate from conduct that is not enshrined as a constitutional right."

He concluded that the abortion business knew it would face defunding if it continued to provide abortions, but instead “stood firm in its mission,” and therefore, cannot claim irreparable harm. 

“Over the years, political winds have shifted and [Maine Family Planning] can only be understood as voluntarily standing its ground … despite the dramatically increased likelihood of defunding after Dobbs,” he said. “Fair enough, but while its adherents may celebrate the firmness of its convictions, those convictions are not equal to the task of enjoining congressional will in this arena.”

Zoom Out:

Maine Family Planning’s July lawsuit came on the heels of a very similar Planned Parenthood lawsuit. In response to that lawsuit, District Court Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, ordered an injunction against the provision, thereby allowing Planned Parenthood to continue to receive Medicaid reimbursements. 

While Maine Family Planning threatens to close some of its doors, Planned Parenthood can continue to commit abortions in the state.

Maine Family Planning laments that it now faces losses of up to $1.9 million, along with layoffs. 

“This ruling is a devastating setback for Mainers who depend on us for basic primary care,” said George Hill, president and CEO of Maine Family Planning. “The loss of Medicaid funds — which nearly half our patients rely on — threatens our ability to provide life-saving services to communities across the state. Mainers’ health should never be jeopardized by political decisions, and we will continue to fight for them.”

Though Maine Family Planning is threatening that many of the state’s residents will now be unable to access health care, as Live Action News previously reported, the state has at least 19 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) available that receive Medicaid funding and which offer primary care. These health centers are available to residents and do not commit abortions.

The Bottom Line:

Though Maine Family Planning warns of catastrophe without the funding, as Walker noted in his ruling, the organization has “stood firm” in continuing to commit abortions. If it stopped committing abortions, it could continue to receive Medicaid reimbursements and therefore continue to serve those clients it purports to care so much about.

In reading between the lines, it’s clear — it's unwilling to stop the killing of preborn children, because abortion is big business.