Just last week, Pro-Life advocates celebrated a long-awaited and unprecedented win: Congress officially defunded Planned Parenthood for one year—the first time in history. The funding cut was part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a sweeping budget package championed by President Donald Trump, and hailed as a monumental step toward protecting preborn lives.
But the celebration was short-lived.
Almost immediately, an Obama-appointed judge, Indira Talwani, halted the policy that would cut Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid reimbursements. The judge scheduled a hearing for July 21 to determine whether the block will remain in place for a longer period.
Planned Parenthood celebrated the judge’s temporary restraining order: “We’re grateful that the court acted swiftly to block this unconstitutional law attacking Planned Parenthood providers and patients.”
The claim? That defunding Planned Parenthood would devastate access to basic health care services for hundreds of thousands of low-income patients.
Their attorneys argued that Medicaid does not pay for abortions—so cutting off Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid funding would primarily impact patients seeking care for cancer screenings, STIs, and birth control. Without this access, they claim, more unplanned pregnancies would occur.
But Pro-Lifers know this defense is misleading—and even The Washington Post, hardly a conservative outlet, has debunked Planned Parenthood’s math.
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The organization loves to say abortion is “only 3%” of the services they provide. But that number is wildly misleading. Here’s why: Planned Parenthood counts each service equally—whether it’s a pregnancy test, an abortion, or birth control.
So if a woman comes in for an abortion and receives an ultrasound, blood work, and birth control pills, Planned Parenthood counts that as four services—and only one of them being an abortion. This sleight of hand is designed to downplay the central role abortion plays in their operations.
That’s like saying baseball is only 0.012% of what the MLB does—because they sell 20 million hot dogs and only play 2,430 games.
But the real numbers tell the story:
- Cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood have dropped by 71% in the last decade.
- Prenatal services have plunged by 80%.
- Contraceptive services have declined by 39%.
- Meanwhile, abortions have increased.
Planned Parenthood is streamlining their business—and abortion is the product.
Judge Talwani’s quick move to block the law has raised serious constitutional concerns. Critics say it’s a clear overreach of judicial power—interfering with Congress’s explicit authority to make federal spending decisions.
“What you have here is Congress exercising its explicit constitutional authority to make spending decisions, and you have a district judge arguably trying to exercise power she doesn’t have,” said Tom Jipping, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
The Pro-Life movement has long warned of the courts being used as a tool to protect abortion at all costs, even when it means twisting or overruling the will of the people.
It’s no secret that the abortion industry will do anything to keep their business alive—even in states where abortion is banned.
In Texas, where abortion is illegal, pill trafficking groups smuggle in an estimated 19,000 abortion pills each year, illegally distributing them to women and girls.
This proves one thing: even when the law speaks clearly, the abortion industry looks for loopholes.
The judge’s July 21 hearing will be a critical moment. The outcome could determine whether this historic defunding measure is delayed for weeks, months, or permanently blocked.
But regardless of what happens in court, this moment matters. It shows what is possible when elected leaders take bold action and Pro-Life Americans remain engaged. For the first time, Planned Parenthood’s public funding was directly challenged by Congress—and cut.
We must not let judicial activism override the will of the people or the cause of Life.
This is a reminder: the fight isn’t over. The culture of death will always push back. But with persistence, prayer, and truth, we will continue to push forward until every life is protected—and every abortion is unthinkable.
Do you want to play a role in stopping the flow of illegal abortion pills into Texas?
In a huge win, Governor Greg Abbott directed state lawmakers to save babies from abortion in a 30-day special session. However, now it’s up to state representatives and senators to follow through.
Texas Right to Life asks every Pro-Life Texan to contact lawmakers so they will quickly pass the Woman and Child Protection Act.
Take Action! Contact State Officials:
Dear Lieutenant Governor Patrick and Speaker Burrows,
I’m writing to urge you to pass the Woman and Child Protection Act in the July special session. We must address the growing danger of abortion pills in Texas. Over 19,000 orders of these drugs are mailed into our state each year—often from unregulated websites—putting women at serious risk and ending the lives of innocent preborn children.
The BEST bill to save these lives is Senate Bill 2880 (89R), the Woman and Child Protection Act. This policy was passed by the Senate and voted out of a House committee to stop traffickers and distributors of these deadly drugs. It also protects mothers from prosecution. The Woman and Child Protection Act allows families to seek justice if a mom is harmed or killed by these lethal drugs.
Please take swift action and pass the Woman and Child Protection Act in the special session. Texas must continue to lead in saving lives.
Thank you for your leadership.
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