Massachusetts Judge Blocks Trump’s Medicaid Defunding of Planned Parenthood in ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ Battle

On July 7, 2025, US Massachusetts District Judge Indira Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued a temporary restraining order blocking a provision in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” This provision aimed to ban Medicaid payments to health care nonprofits that provide abortions and received more than $800,000 in federal funding in fiscal year 2023. The ruling ensures that Planned Parenthood can continue receiving Medicaid funding for the next 14 days while legal proceedings continue, providing a critical pause in the implementation of the defunding measure.

Planned Parenthood, which filed the lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argues that the provision unfairly targets them, violating their First Amendment rights to free association. They warn that the funding cut could lead to the closure of nearly 200 clinics nationwide, with 90% located in states where abortion remains legal, affecting access to vital services like birth control, STI testing, and cancer screening for over 1 million Medicaid patients. Critics, such as Katie Daniel from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, oppose taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, highlighting the ongoing debate over government funding for reproductive health services.

The temporary block provides a brief respite, with Judge Talwani set to decide later on whether to impose a longer injunction.