A federal court has ruled that the Trump administration must continue funding Planned Parenthood.
Judge Indira Talwani blocked for 14 days a provision in President Trump's megabill that would strip Medicaid funding from the largest abortion provider in America.
Planned Parenthood furiously denies using federal money for abortion, which is illegal under the Hyde Amendment.
But the organization is notoriously opaque, and the fact that money is fungible has led critics to say that Planned Parenthood's federal funding subsidizes abortion indirectly.
The "Big, Beautiful Bill" attempts to address that concern by rescinding all Medicaid funding for non-abortion services at Planned Parenthood and its affiliates for one year.
Although Planned Parenthood is never named in the law, the organization says it is being singled out for retaliation since it applies to only to abortion nonprofits that receive over $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements, a threshold that excludes most smaller abortion providers.
“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 White House said in response to the judge's ruling.
Planned Parenthood sued, accusing the Trump administration of trying to cripple its services over its abortion advocacy, which Planned Parenthood insists is "wholly outside the Medicaid program."
Even still, Planned Parenthood conceded that without this funding, many abortion clinics could be forced to close down.
"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. 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 lawsuit reads.
On the same day the lawsuit was filed, Judge Talwani, an Obama appointee, ordered the Trump administration to take "all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed in the customary manner and timeframes to Planned Parenthood Federation. of America and its members."
The judge's intervention has put on hold what was hailed by many in the pro-life movement as a historic victory.
Planned Parenthood said the fight is "just beginning."
"We're grateful that the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients... The fight is just beginning, and we look forward to our day in court!" Planned Parenthood said in a statement.
