Kenya, July 8 -- A federal judge in Boston has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against a provision in President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, halting a measure designed to eliminate Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, granted the 14-day TRO on Monday, pausing the enforcement of the funding cut to allow further legal review, according to court documents.
This ruling marks the first judicial challenge to the sweeping tax and spending legislation signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025.
The One Big Beautiful Bill, a cornerstone of Trump's domestic policy agenda, includes a provision that prohibits Medicaid funding for one year to healthcare providers "primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health, and related medical care" that also offer abortions.
While the bill does not explicitly name Planned Parenthood, the organisation argues it is unfairly targeted, as the restriction would disproportionately affect its nearly 600 clinics nationwide, which serve over 1 million Medicaid patients annually for services like cancer screenings, STI testing, and contraception.
Planned Parenthood, along with its Massachusetts and Utah affiliates, filed a lawsuit in Boston's federal court on July 7, 2025, claiming the provision violates constitutional rights, including First Amendment protections for advocacy and Fifth Amendment due process.
The organisation called the measure a "backdoor abortion ban," asserting it punishes them for providing legal abortion services outside Medicaid using non-federal funds.
"This case is about ensuring Medicaid patients can continue accessing care at Planned Parenthood," said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Judge Talwani's order directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), under administrator Mehmet Oz, to maintain Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood during the TRO period.
A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2025, to determine whether the funding cut will be blocked longer-term.
The decision has sparked polarised reactions. Supporters of the ruling, including reproductive health advocates, argue it protects access to essential healthcare for low-income patients.
Critics, including anti-abortion groups, condemned the TRO, with some calling it "judicial activism" that overrides Congress and the President.
The One Big Beautiful Bill also includes permanent tax cuts favouring wealthy Americans and increased immigration enforcement funding, offset by reductions to Medicaid and food assistance programs, drawing criticism for impacting vulnerable populations.
The ongoing legal battle over Planned Parenthood's funding underscores broader tensions over reproductive rights and federal spending priorities.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.