Planned Parenthood Drops Suit After Trying to Force Taxpayers to Fund Abortions
Planned Parenthood has dropped its lawsuit attempting to block a provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill which prohibits taxpayer dollars from going to abortion providers for one year. The abortion giant dismissed its case Planned Parenthood v. Kennedy.
Last year, congressional Republicans utilized the reconciliation process to enact the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which President Donald J. Trump signed into law on July 4.
The bill contained a provision (Section 71113) defunding abortion providers – including Planned Parenthood – of Medicaid reimbursements to the tune of roughly $850 million.
Before the OBBBA’s enactment, while federal taxpayer dollars couldn’t directly pay for abortions, Medicaid dollars could be used for other services, which indirectly subsidized the abortion business. In its 2024 report, Planned Parenthood reported over $2 billion in income.
Thankfully, 50 Planned Parenthood clinics closed last year as a result of the OBBBA.
Within days of the law’s enactment, Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit arguing Section 71113 was unconstitutional. Within hours, a federal district judge sided with the abortion giant and issued a temporary restraining order blocking the provision’s enforcement.
The Trump administration promptly appealed the ruling, and a three-judge panel on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously overturned the decision, agreeing that Congress has the constitutional authority to defund Big Abortion organizations.
When Congress utilizes its tax and spending power, it has “‘broad discretion’ to place ‘limits on the use of such funds to ensure they are used in the manner [it] intends,’” the court explained.
As a result, Planned Parenthood agreed to voluntarily dismiss the case rather than appeal it to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Planned Parenthood originally filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, knowing any appeal would be heard by the 1st Circuit – a notoriously liberal appeals court. But the abortion giant’s strategy didn’t pan out.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement, calling the development a “key legal win for the pro-life cause.”
“The American people do not want their tax dollars propping up the abortion industry,” said Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel Erik Baptist, director of the ADF Center for Life, in a statement.
“This legal action should never have happened in the first place, and now we are assured that Planned Parenthood will not bypass the people’s choice to protect taxpayer funding.”
He added,
Since Section 71113 expires later this year, the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of conservative House lawmakers, has proposed a second reconciliation bill which would extend the defunding provision.
Let’s hope and pray Section 71113 is extended so more babies lives can be saved from the tragedy of abortion.
The case is Planned Parenthood v. Kennedy.
At Focus on the Family, we have been working to turn the cultural tide and save mothers and babies from abortion for years. Since beginning the Option Ultrasound Program in 2004, Focus has helped save over half a million lives. Just $60 will help save a life through Option Ultrasound. Will you partner with us to save lives from abortion?
If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, you can visit My Choice Network.
Related articles and resources:
Dealing With Unplanned Pregnancy
Become an Option Ultrasound Life Advocate
New Insights on the Dangers of the Abortion Pill
Overcoming Abortion and Becoming a Force for Life
Appeals Court Upholds Defunding of Big Abortion Businesses
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