A federal judge on Monday granted Planned Parenthood’s request to temporarily halt Medicaid funding cuts to the group’s health centers under a provision of Republicans’ new tax and spending package.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani’s ruling marks the first known instance of a federal judge limiting enforcement of any part of the “big, beautiful” bill, which President Trump signed into law Friday.
It came just hours after Planned Parenthood sued over a provision that imposes a one-year ban on state Medicaid payments to health care nonprofits that also offer abortions and received more than $800,000 in federal funding in 2023.
Talwani’s ruling still allows the administration to enforce the provision against other providers, but Planned Parenthood says it comprises almost the entirety of the impacted entities.
The judge issued the decision before the government responded, providing no explanation beyond a brief note that Planned Parenthood had shown “good cause” for her to immediately intervene.
The ruling lasts two weeks, and the judge will rule on whether to grant a longer injunction following a July 21 hearing. Talwani is an appointee of former President Obama.
Stressing that federal law already bans federal funding for abortion, Planned Parenthood argues that the provision unconstitutionally singles out the organization, violates its equal protection rights and amounts to retaliation for Planned Parenthood’s protected speech.
The group warned that it would have to make cuts if the judge did not immediately get involved.
“We’re grateful that the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients,” the group said in a statement following her ruling.
“Already, in states across the country, providers and health center staff have been forced to turn away patients who use Medicaid to get basic sexual and reproductive health care because President Trump and his backers in Congress passed a law to block them from going to Planned Parenthood. There are no other providers who can fill the gap if the ‘defunding’ of Planned Parenthood is allowed to stand,” the statement continued.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment. It is due to respond to Planned Parenthood’s arguments in court filings by next Monday.
