Within hours of a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood in a Boston federal court against the Trump administration, an Obama-appointed judge has put the defunding of the corporation in the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” on hold by issuing a temporary restraining order.
The bill, which has barely had time to come into play, partially defunded businesses committing elective abortions — like Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortion corporation. Under the legislation, abortion businesses are barred from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements for one year, unless they agree to stop committing elective induced abortions.
Key Takeaways:
- An Obama appointee, Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S District Court of Massachusetts, issued a temporary restraining order within hours of Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit. The TRO lasts for 14 days.
- The budget bill President Trump called “The Big Beautiful Bill” passed Congress last week and was signed by Trump on July 4.
- Provisions in the bill bar Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses from receiving Medicaid funding for one year.
- In its most recent annual report, Planned Parenthood claimed to have received $792 million in government funding in one year, which includes Medicaid and other funding.
- The majority of Americans oppose taxpayer funding for abortion.
The Details:
Within mere hours of Planned Parenthood’s request for an injunction against the law, Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, granted the request for a temporary restraining order. Talwani has issued previous injunctions against the Trump administration.
🚨 BREAKING: Federal judge BLOCKS the Big Beautiful Bill’s DEFUNDING of Planned Parenthood in Medicaid.
Holy smokes.
The bill has hardly been law for half a second.
The judge? Located in BOSTON. They judge shopped.
Do not give a DIME to Planned Parenthood. pic.twitter.com/VXlibtKzDH
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 7, 2025
The judge’s decision applies to “Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its members; Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah,” according to the court document, which also states that the TRO “shall remain in effect for fourteen days, unless vacated, modified or extended by the court.”
According to Reuters, Planned Parenthood sued the Trump administration, claiming that being stripped of Medicaid funding for a year would have “catastrophic consequences.” In a press release, Planned Parenthood said over one million Medicaid recipients depend on their facilities for health care, claiming it provides legitimate health care, and is not just an abortion business.
“We’re suing the Trump administration over this targeted attack on Planned Parenthood health centers and the patients who rely on them for care,” president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said. “This case is about making sure that patients who use Medicaid as their insurance to get birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment can continue to do so at their local Planned Parenthood health center, and we will make that clear in court.”
According to the press release, “nearly 200 Planned Parenthood health centers in 24 states” could potentially close, affecting over a million people. Furthermore, Planned Parenthood again tried to position itself as an indispensable health care provider which Americans need.
“A majority (60%) of Planned Parenthood health centers at risk of closure are located in medically underserved areas (MUAs), primary care health professional shortage areas (HPSA-PCs), or rural areas,” the release claimed.
Live Action founder and president Lila Rose reacted to the judge’s TRO on X:
BREAKING:
A federal judge in Massachusetts just blocked the Big Beautiful Bill provision defunding Planned Parenthood
Unjust judicial activism that should be immediately overruled by higher courts pic.twitter.com/4ACxMkEi9y
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) July 7, 2025
By The Numbers:
Despite its claims, Planned Parenthood is not a legitimate health care provider upon which Americans rely. Planned Parenthood only serves an estimated 2% of American women of reproductive age — and according to its own annual reports, the few legitimate health care services it provides have plummeted over the years, while abortions have soared to record highs.
Cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood have fallen by 79% since 2004, breast cancer screenings over 80% since 2000, pap tests over 83% since 2004, prenatal care 80% since 2010, and STI treatments 19% since 2019. And all the while, abortions have increased by 100% since 2000.
Additionally, its annual reports have revealed that Planned Parenthood has fewer clients than ever before. And for people seeking health care, Planned Parenthood is far outnumbered by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and other non-profit clinics. In 2023, for example, FQHCs had 15,000 location sites in 2023, compared to just 600 Planned Parenthood facilities the same year. Unsurprisingly, FQHCs serve significantly more people, providing cancer screenings, prenatal care, and more.
The Bottom Line:
In addition to the reality that there are legitimate health care options for Americans, taxpayers also do not want their money funding abortion businesses.
A 2025 Knights of Columbus/Marist poll found that 57% of American adults “oppose” or “strongly oppose” taxpayer funding for abortion. And yet, according to Planned Parenthood’s 2023-2024 annual report, it killed 402,000 babies a year (1,076 preborn children every day) in the United States, equalling nearly 45 abortions every hour, and one every 80 seconds.
The funding that goes to Planned Parenthood for other services is fungible — which means it helps to bolster the corporation’s abortion business (the facilities, the physicians, the employees, etc.), not just the “legitimate” health services it offers in addition to abortion.
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