Obama-appointed Judge Indira Talwani has swooped in to protect abortion giant Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding, blocking President Trump’s hard-fought victory against the abortion industry just days after it was signed into law.
At a Glance
- An Obama-appointed federal judge has temporarily blocked a new law that would cut off federal funding to Planned Parenthood for one year.
- The provision, which was part of President Trump’s recently signed tax package, was a major victory for the pro-life movement.
- Planned Parenthood sued, claiming the law “unconstitutionally targets” them.
- Pro-life groups have slammed the ruling as “unjust judicial activism” that ignores a recent Supreme Court precedent.
An “Activist Judge” Protects Planned Parenthood
Just days after President Trump signed a historic law to cut off federal funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider, an Obama-appointed judge in Boston has single-handedly blocked it. On Monday, July 7, 2025, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a temporary restraining order, stopping the implementation of the one-year defunding of Planned Parenthood that was a key provision of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
The move is a textbook case of judicial activism, with a single, unelected judge overriding a law passed by the elected representatives of the American people and signed by the President.
Constitutional Theatrics from the Abortion Industry
Planned Parenthood immediately filed a lawsuit after the bill was signed, claiming that the provision “unconstitutionally targets” their organization. Their lawyers argue that cutting off their taxpayer funding is a form of “retaliation” for their pro-abortion advocacy. “We’re grateful that the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law,” the abortion giant said in a statement reported by AOL News.
The lawsuit conveniently ignores the fact that Planned Parenthood performs hundreds of thousands of abortions annually and focuses instead on other health services, which it uses as a shield to protect its taxpayer-funded “gravy train.”
Ignoring a Supreme Court Precedent?
What makes Judge Talwani’s ruling particularly galling is that it appears to fly in the face of a recent Supreme Court decision. As noted by The Blaze, the Supreme Court just ruled that states have the right to block Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid programs. Yet, a lower court judge has now intervened to block a similar action at the federal level.
The temporary restraining order will remain in effect for two weeks, with a hearing on a longer-term injunction scheduled for July 21. The Department of Justice is expected to vigorously defend the law.
Follow the Money
Let’s be clear about what is at stake. Planned Parenthood receives nearly $800 million a year in government funding. While the Hyde Amendment technically prohibits direct federal funding for most abortions, money is fungible. Every taxpayer dollar Planned Parenthood receives for other services frees up a dollar to be spent on its core business: abortion. The new law was a common-sense measure to stop this indirect subsidy. Judge Talwani’s intervention is nothing short of a slap in the face to taxpayers and the pro-life movement.
