Judge Blocks Trump’s Planned Parenthood Cuts In ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ | EUROtoday

July 7 (Reuters) – Planned Parenthood sued the Trump administration on Monday over a provision in Republican President Donald Trump’s sweeping home coverage invoice that may forestall its well being facilities from receiving Medicaid reimbursements.

In a grievance filed in Boston federal court docket, Planned Parenthood stated the supply is unconstitutional as a result of it singles out members for advocacy for sexual and reproductive healthcare, together with abortions.

It additionally stated enforcement would have “catastrophic” penalties for its practically 600 well being facilities, saying practically 200 may shut and greater than 1.1 million of its roughly 2.1 million sufferers yearly may lose entry to care.

“The true design of the Defund Provision is simply to express disapproval of, attack, and punish Planned Parenthoodwhich plays a particularly prominent role in the public debate over abortion,” Planned Parenthood stated.

Late on Monday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani quickly blocked enforcement of the legislation towards Planned Parenthoodand ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to file any opposition to a longer-lasting injunction by July 14.

Medicaid is overseen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is a part of HHS. Neither that company nor the White House responded to requests for remark.

Talwani was appointed to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama.

The grievance was filed 11 days after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 vote, cleared the best way for South Carolina to disclaim Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthoodsaying the relevant federal legislation didn’t authorize the group to sue.

Monday’s lawsuit seeks an injunction to dam the federal government from denying Medicaid funds to “prohibited” entities, together with abortion suppliers and entities receiving greater than $800,000 in Medicaid funds within the 2023 fiscal 12 months.

The mum or dad entity, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, stated it doesn’t present abortion care and has by no means acquired Medicaid funds, however that the legislation was drafted to focus on its members, together with these that don’t present abortions.

It stated clinics that would face closure are in 24 U.S. states, with greater than 90% in states the place abortion is authorized.

Planned Parenthood stated the legislation violates its members’ constitutional rights to free affiliation underneath the First Amendment and equal safety underneath the Fifth Amendment. Member teams in Massachusetts and Utah are additionally plaintiffs.

“This case is about making sure that patients who use Medicaid as their insurance to get birth control, cancer screenings, and STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing and treatment can continue to do so at their local Planned Parenthood health center,” Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson stated in an announcement.

The case is Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc et al v Kennedy et al, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, No. 25-11913.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Mark Porter, Chizu Nomiyama, Marguerita Choy and Bill Berkrot)