This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked a provision in the newly approved federal budget that sought to cut Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood.
Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown called the ruling a victory in the ongoing battle against the Trump administration’s actions to attempt to defund Planned Parenthood.
Brown and a coalition of 24 attorneys general won a preliminary injunction that pauses the measure, which would have barred Medicaid reimbursements for services provided at Planned Parenthood clinics, including cancer screenings, birth control, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
Brown said the ruling protects essential healthcare access for millions of low-income Americans who rely on Medicaid.
“This victory will allow patients to continue to access essential health services like primary care, cancer screenings, and family planning,” Brown said. “We will continue fighting against any attempt to strip Medicaid funding from Washington.”
Trump administration looks to defund Planned Parenthood
The Trump administration has defended plans to defund Planned Parenthood, especially when it comes to abortion and other politically debated issues. In June, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would not fund any organization that provided transgender hormones.
“The president has maintained a very clear commitment to ensuring that this administration and the American people’s tax dollars are not funding any institution that are funding the chemical castration and mutilation of children,” Leavitt said.
According to the attorney general’s office, defunding Planned Parenthood could jeopardize 30 Planned Parenthood clinics. Close to half of the patients who use those facilities rely on Medicaid, and the federal action threatened to strip $11.8 million from the state.
The coalition sued the Trump administration on July 29, arguing the budget provision was unconstitutional and would cause widespread disruptions in health services. In its ruling, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts found the states are likely to prevail, saying the provision lacked clear notice about which providers qualify as “prohibited entities,” violating the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The court also ruled the measure was an unlawful retroactive condition imposed after states had already committed to the Medicaid program.
The judge determined the cuts would cause “irreparable harm” if allowed to take effect. The ruling is paused for seven days to give the federal government time to appeal.
The decision is separate from a related case, Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Kennedy, in which the First Circuit Court of Appeals earlier allowed the provision to temporarily take effect while that case proceeds.
If the federal government appeals Tuesday’s injunction, the matter will continue through the courts.
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