Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani said Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funds amid a legal battle over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, the law takes away Medicaid funds for healthcare clinics that also provide abortions. Talwani, an Obama appointee, said the Trump administration cannot do this and ordered all Planned Parenthoods around the country to get the funds.
"She has no standing to do this, so it's an ongoing battle that I have no doubt we will win, but it's quite amazing that this judge thinks she has this much authority," says Carol Tobias of National Right to Life.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion that limits nationwide rulings. As a result, Tobias predicts Talwani's ruling "probably will end up before the supreme court" where she hopes justices would "have the backbone to stand on their prior ruling" and tell Talwani that she is out of order.
Meanwhile, supporters of Planned Parenthood say the operation does offer healthcare services beyond abortion. As a result, supporters argue that a loss in Medicaid funds would mean fewer options for women in need of health care services. Tobias disagrees.
"Planned Parenthood's priority is killing unborn children," says Tobias. "They say that they do other services, but you can tell by their annual reports that is a very small amount of what they do, and women who need medical care can get it from hundreds of other community health centers, they do not need planned parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider."
