Federal Appeals Court Clears Way for Trump Administration to Defund Planned Parenthood

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – A federal appeals court delivered a major victory to the Trump administration and the pro-life movement on Friday, ruling that Planned Parenthood is unlikely to succeed in its legal challenge against a key provision of President Donald Trump’s signature domestic-policy law that cuts off federal Medicaid funding to abortion providers.

In a unanimous 3–0 decision, the Boston-based 1st Circuit Court of Appeals overturned earlier rulings by a lower court that had temporarily blocked enforcement of the defunding measure in the One Big Beautiful Act. Writing for the panel, Judge Gustavo Gelpi said Congress acted within its constitutional authority by setting new conditions on the use of taxpayer funds and was not punishing Planned Parenthood for past conduct.

The court rejected claims that the provision amounts to a “bill of attainder,” noting that the law looks forward and simply gives abortion providers a choice: continue performing abortions without federal Medicaid dollars, or retain funding by ending abortion services. The judges also dismissed arguments that the law violates the First Amendment or equal protection guarantees.

The ruling allows the Trump administration to move forward with a long-promised effort to ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to subsidize organizations that perform abortions. Pro-life leaders hailed the decision as a decisive step toward accountability and a rebuke of activist judges who had sought to block the law.

Planned Parenthood officials insisted the fight is not over and accused the administration of targeting their clinics, though they did not immediately confirm whether they will appeal to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, pro-life advocates noted that dozens of Planned Parenthood clinics have already closed nationwide this year, underscoring what they see as a shifting legal and cultural landscape on abortion.

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