A federal judge has ruled that some Planned Parenthood clinics can continue to receive federal funding while litigation about a provision in the recently passed Big Beautiful Bill Act defunding the abortion provider continues.
In an opinion released Monday, Judge Indira Talwani of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts partially blocked a provision of The Big Beautiful Bill Act — signed into law by President Donald Trump earlier this month — that puts a one-year pause on giving federal funding to Planned Parenthood. Talwani’s ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed earlier this month by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah.
Talwani ruled that the Trump administration must continue to ensure that the Planned Parenthood affiliates in Massachusetts and Utah, as well as any “Planned Parenthood Federation of America Members who will not provide abortion services as of October 1, 2025” or who spent less than $800,000 in Medicaid funds in fiscal year 2023, continue to receive Medicaid funding.
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The Big Beautiful Bill Act does not explicitly ban Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding. It instead prohibits the distribution of funds under the Social Security Act to “prohibited identities.” As Talwani explained in her opinion, the definition of “prohibited entities” includes organizations that perform abortions or receive more than $800,000 in Medicaid funds per year.
Talwani’s ruling only applies to Planned Parenthood clinics that do not fit into this category, rather than seeking to ensure that all Planned Parenthood clinics receive federal funding. Monday’s decision follows a ruling issued by Talwani two weeks ago, which placed a two-week ban on the relevant portion of the Big Beautiful Bill Act from going into effect nationwide.
Stakeholders on both sides of the abortion debate have issued statements weighing in on Talwani’s decision. Although Planned Parenthood praised Talwani, appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, for granting its organization some relief, it maintains that more work needs to be done.
In a joint statement published Monday, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah insisted that “This isn’t over.” While the statement expressed gratitude that “the court recognized the harm caused by this law,” it noted disappointment that “not all members were granted the necessary relief today.”
“Patients across the country should be able to go to their trusted Planned Parenthood provider for birth control […] and STI testing and treatment. This is about patients and their right to get care — no matter their insurance. The court has not yet ruled on whether it will grant preliminary injunctive relief to other members. We remain hopeful that the court will grant this relief. There will be nothing short of a public health crisis if Planned Parenthood members are allowed to be ‘defunded,’” the statement continued.
In a statement released Monday, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser reacted to Talwani’s decision by lamenting that an “activist judge just prolonged the forced taxpayer funding of Big Abortion” in what she characterized as “a desperate attempt to run out the clock, and a shameful abuse of our tax dollars.”
“Every day her decision remains in effect, millions are funneled into a business that profits from ending unborn lives and putting women at risk,” Dannenfelser warned.
Talwani’s ruling comes less than a month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Medina v. Planned Parenthood that states can exclude abortion providers from Medicaid funding.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
