A federal appeals court just slammed the brakes on a lower court’s attempt to funnel taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood through Medicaid.
Breitbart reported that in a decisive move on Thursday, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit overturned two preliminary injunctions, allowing a Republican-backed measure to strip the organization of Medicaid funding to proceed while legal battles rage on.
This saga kicked off in the summer of 2025 when Republicans, wielding their Senate majority through the reconciliation process, passed the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” a measure that temporarily halts Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood for a year.
The defunding provision, though not naming Planned Parenthood outright, sets criteria that primarily target the organization as one of the few major abortion providers affected by the restrictions.
Planned Parenthood didn’t take this lying down, filing a lawsuit claiming the measure is unconstitutional and unfairly singles them out, while warning that nearly 200 clinics could shutter without these funds.
On July 21 and July 28, 2025, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued injunctions to block the defunding, arguing that patients could face “adverse health consequences” without access to care.
“Patients are likely to suffer adverse health consequences where care is disrupted,” wrote Judge Talwani. But let’s be real—while access to healthcare matters, should taxpayers be on the hook for an organization that, according to its own 2023-2024 report, performed over 400,000 abortions?
Judge Talwani’s second injunction mandated continued Medicaid funding for all Planned Parenthood clinics during litigation, claiming the defunding unfairly targeted the group.
“This order grants preliminary relief that prevents Defendants from targeting a specific group,” she wrote. Yet, one might ask if Congress, not the courts, should have the final say on where public funds go—especially when the Hyde Amendment already limits federal abortion funding to extreme cases.
Enter the First Circuit’s three-judge panel, all appointed by former President Joe Biden, who surprisingly sided against Planned Parenthood on Thursday, staying both injunctions.
“We conclude that defendants have met their burden to show their entitlement to a stay,” wrote Judges Gustavo Gelpí, Lara Montecalvo, and Seth Aframe. It’s a rare moment of judicial restraint, acknowledging that Congress’s decision to redirect taxpayer money shouldn’t be so easily undone by a single judge.
The Department of Health and Human Services also pushed back hard, arguing in filings that Planned Parenthood “has no right” to public funds and that courts shouldn’t invent such entitlements.
“The Court should uphold Congress’s lawful exercise of its authority,” HHS stated in its filing. And frankly, with Planned Parenthood raking in $792.2 million in taxpayer funds in 2023-2024—nearly $100 million more than the prior year—shouldn’t there be a serious conversation about whether this aligns with public values?
Pro-life advocate Marjorie Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America cheered the ruling, stating, “Taxpayers should not be forced to spend a dime funding a brutal industry.”
While her words are sharp, they echo a growing sentiment among conservatives that alternative, comprehensive healthcare options—outnumbering Planned Parenthood clinics 15 to 1—deserve priority for public support.
This ruling also comes on the heels of a Supreme Court decision in June 2025, which upheld South Carolina’s right to block Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood, reinforcing that states and Congress have significant leeway in these funding decisions.
It’s a double blow to the organization’s legal strategy, though their fight is far from over. With litigation ongoing, expect more courtroom drama as both sides dig in over the role of taxpayer money in controversial healthcare services.