On Monday, a federal judge in Boston stopped the implementation of a significant clause in President Donald Trump’s recently signed tax and budget package that sought to deny Planned Parenthood and its affiliates Medicaid funding, concluding that the measure probably violates the U.S. Constitution.
Former President Barack Obama selected U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who issued a preliminary injunction against the Republican-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act clause. The goal of the measure was to effectively target Planned Parenthood by preventing Medicaid reimbursements to tax-exempt organizations that continue to provide abortions.
According to Talwani, the law seems to be expressly created to penalize the group for providing abortion services. In her ruling, she stated the plaintiffs are likely to prove that Congress picked them out with the intention of punishing them.
She went on to say that the clause might be considered an unconstitutional bill of attainder, which is a law that punishes people without a court hearing. The judge also found that it burdened the First Amendment rights of those connected to the national organization who do not perform abortions and probably violated the equal protection rights of Planned Parenthood members under the Fifth Amendment.
In support of the statute, the U.S. Department of Justice argued that it was intended to stop federal payments for Big Abortion and urged the court to prevent Planned Parenthood from using its policy preferences to overrule Congress’s power.
The organization that runs almost 600 health centers nationwide, Planned Parenthood, issued a warning that the law would have disastrous consequences and force the closure of around 200 locations in 24 states.
The decision was hailed by Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, who said, “We will continue to fight this cruel law so that everyone, regardless of insurance, can get birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and other critical health care.”
Requests for comment have not received a response from the White House.
Last week, Talwani ordered an injunction, but Monday’s broader order coincided with the expiration of a temporary restraining order, which caused several clinics to halt charging Medicaid in advance of losing funding.
In addition to a larger conflict between the administration’s anti-abortion agenda and constitutional protections, the judicial battle is a key early test for President Trump’s contentious healthcare provisions.
