The Trump administration is slamming a Letitia James-led effort to challenge the defunding of Planned Parenthood, assailing the effort of Democrat attorneys general to “undermine state flexibility.”
James, the New York attorney general, is leading a legal challenge against a key provision of the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, accusing the Trump administration of unconstitutional defunding of Planned Parenthood.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, James joined 21 other Democrat attorneys general and Pennsylvania in contesting new Medicaid restrictions included in the bill, a sweeping law signed by President Donald Trump on July 4. The provision at the heart of the lawsuit bars Medicaid dollars from going to nonprofit clinics that receive substantial Medicaid funds and provide abortion services — criteria that James and her allies argue is clearly aimed at Planned Parenthood.
The Department of Health and Human Services fired back on Tuesday.
“States should not be forced to fund organizations that have chosen political advocacy over patient care,” HHS spokesperson Andrew G. Nixon said in a statement. “It is a shame that these democrat attorney generals seek to undermine state flexibility and disregard longstanding concerns about accountability."
Earlier this month, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America blasted Planned Parenthood for filing a lawsuit to block the defunding of abortions.
“Planned Parenthood’s desperation is showing as they run to the courts again to fix a crisis of their own making. Time after time they rely on unelected judges to bail them out of trouble, rather than fix deep systemic problems internally,” Katie Daniel, director of legal affairs and policy counsel for SBA Pro-Life America, said in a release.
Under longstanding federal law, Medicaid funds cannot be used to pay for abortions except in limited cases. But James claims the new provision crosses a legal line by punishing Planned Parenthood not for performing abortions, but for publicly supporting abortion rights. Her lawsuit seeks a court ruling declaring the new Medicaid restriction unconstitutional and blocking its implementation.
According to James, nearly 90,000 Medicaid patients in New York alone received care at Planned Parenthood clinics in 2023, including STI testing, cancer screenings, and contraceptive services. She argues that the bill’s funding cutoff will disproportionately harm low-income communities, particularly minorities and young people, by leaving them with fewer care options.
Daniel argues that women now have “real choices” in the aftermath of the budget bill.
“Life is winning and the nation’s abortion giant won’t be missed as their long decline continues. With far more accessible and comprehensive community health centers outnumbering Planned Parenthoods 15- to-1, women have real choices for their healthcare needs,” Daniel said.
James and the Democrat attorneys general contend that the provision violates several constitutional protections:
- First Amendment: by allegedly punishing Planned Parenthood for its speech and advocacy.
- Spending Clause: by coercing states into choosing between excluding Planned Parenthood or forfeiting federal funding.
- Bill of Attainder Clause: by singling out Planned Parenthood for punishment without a trial.
Critics of Planned Parenthood have long questioned the organization’s reliance on taxpayer funds, given its central role in America’s abortion infrastructure. While the bill's supporters say the law ensures Medicaid funds don’t indirectly subsidize abortion providers, James and her colleagues argue it’s an attack on reproductive rights disguised as budget reform.
Among the states joining New York in the lawsuit are California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Washington — states known for their strong pro-abortion laws.
The legal battle underscores deep national divisions over abortion and public funding for healthcare providers involved in abortion services. As Democrats face pressure from progressive allies to defend abortion access in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s reversal, the bill’s Medicaid restrictions are shaping up to be the next major front in the political and legal fight over reproductive policy.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.