A judge on Monday temporarily barred the Trump administration from revoking Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, partially freezing a provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act just days after President Trumpsignedit into law. The temporary restraining order by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwanilasts 14 daysand directs the Department of Health and Human Services to "take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed" to Planned Parenthood. The ruling, which came after a lawsuit from Planned Parenthood, doesn't apply to any other health care providers. The lawsuit takes aim at a portion of Mr. Trump's signature domestic policy bill that would cut off any federal Medicaid funding to groups "primarily engaged in family planning services, reproductive health, and related medical care" that provide abortions. The provision doesn't directly mention Planned Parenthood by name, but the group argues it's a "naked attempt to leverage the government's spending power to attack and penalize Planned Parenthood and impermissibly single it out for unfavorable treatment." Federal Medicaid dollarsalready cannot be usedto cover abortions except in cases of rape, incest or risk to a mother's life. But Planned Parenthood argues this new provision would make it harder for patients to access the non-abortion services offered by the group's local members, like screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted infections. Planned Parenthood also said more than half of its patients use Medicaid, so a funding cutoff would have "devastating effects" on the group and its local affiliates, forcing some local health centers to close. "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 read. Planned Parenthood — and its Massachusetts and Utah affiliates, which joined the lawsuit — said in a statement they were "grateful that the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients." In response to the ruling, a White House official said, "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." Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which opposes abortion, criticized the lawsuit and argued Mr. Trump's domestic policy bill cut off funding to the "abortion industry." "Planned Parenthood's desperation is showing as they run to the courts again to fix a crisis of their own making," the group's director of legal affairs and policy counsel, Katie Daniel, said in astatementMonday. Separately, the Supreme Courtruled last monththat South Carolina can block Planned Parenthood from participating in the state's Medicaid program, finding Planned Parenthood could not sue the state under a civil rights law. Death toll rises as desperate search for Texas flash flood survivors continues Sabrina Carpenter on the biggest misperceptions about her How Lady Liberty became a beacon for immigrants
