A Democrat-aligned activist federal judge has temporarily blocked a key provision of President Donald Trump’s newly passed “Big Beautiful Bill.”
The move from U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani halts efforts to cut off taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood through Medicaid.
Talwani, an Obama appointee, issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) just hours after Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit challenging the law.
In her order, Talwani blocked the provision from taking effect for 14 days and directed the Department of Health and Human Services to “take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed” to the nation’s largest abortion provider.
Planned Parenthood argued that the provision, which bars Medicaid funding for abortion providers for one year, was written in a way that targets them exclusively, despite not naming the organization outright.
The group claims it is the only abortion provider affected by the bill’s specific funding restrictions.
In its legal filing, Planned Parenthood warned of dire consequences if funding were cut off, stating that nearly 200 of its clinics were now “at risk of closure” due to the measure.
“Many Planned Parenthood Members will be required to lay off staff and curtail services, with serious adverse consequences for the many patients served at those centers, even if they do not use Medicaid to access services,” the lawsuit states.
“Worse still, Members may be forced to shutter a substantial number of their health centers nationwide, many of which are in rural or underserved areas without alternative providers.”
The group stated the ruling, saying it was “grateful the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients,” according to CBS News.
A White House official defended the bill and criticized the ruling in a statement to CBS:
“The Trump Administration is ending the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion – a commonsense position that the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with.”
The measure passed as part of a broader reconciliation bill, allowing Republicans to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote threshold and push the funding block through with a simple majority vote.
Under the Hyde Amendment, federal funding for abortion is already restricted, but pro-life advocates argue that any federal funding for organizations that perform abortions, regardless of what services the money technically supports, is unacceptable.
The ruling sparked an immediate backlash from pro-life lawmakers and conservative leaders, who accused the judiciary of overstepping its authority.
“Unless I’m missing something, this is an abuse of judicial power,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) posted on X.
“And unless there’s more to the story here, I suspect the House Judiciary Committee will consider articles of impeachment.”
“An unelected judge has no authority to override the will of 77 MILLION Americans who voted to defund Planned Parenthood,” Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) said.
“Last time I checked, the Constitution gives Congress, not activist judges, the power of the purse.
“This abuse of power must be stopped.”
“A federal judge in Massachusetts just blocked the Big Beautiful Bill provision defunding Planned Parenthood,” Live Action President Lila Rose responded.
“Unjust judicial activism that should be immediately overruled by higher courts.”
The lawsuit, Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, case number 1:25-cv-11913.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is named as the defendant in his official capacity.
The TRO halts enforcement for two weeks, pending further hearings.
Last month, in a separate case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that South Carolina could lawfully block Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood, a significant win for the pro-life movement.
That ruling found that Planned Parenthood could not sue under civil rights statutes to secure public funding.
The Trump administration’s move to cut Medicaid dollars to Planned Parenthood is part of a broader effort to defund abortion providers through budgetary and executive mechanisms, bypassing direct legislation that Democrats could otherwise block.
The battle now moves to the courts, and likely, the Supreme Court, as the pro-life movement continues pressing to sever taxpayer ties with the abortion industry for good.
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