Major Victory: ACLJ Helps Secure Ruling Upholding Law To Defund Planned Parenthood

It’s a huge blow to abortion giant Planned Parenthood and a landmark decision that represents a significant victory for the sanctity of life. The First Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Congress has the constitutional authority to redirect Medicaid funding away from the nation’s largest abortion provider and its affiliates. The ACLJ filed four crucial amicus briefs in this case, continuing our relentless legal battle to defund the abortion industry.

This victory didn’t happen by accident. The ACLJ has been at the forefront of the legal fight to stop taxpayer funding of abortion providers. Our legal team has consistently fought to ensure American tax dollars don’t subsidize organizations that destroy hundreds of thousands of innocent lives each year. In fact, we just filed our seventh amicus brief supporting the defunding of abortion providers.

Our amicus briefs in this case provided the court with crucial constitutional analysis, demonstrating that Congress has every right to establish conditions on how federal funds are distributed. The court’s decision reflects many of the arguments we advanced: that redirecting taxpayer money away from abortion providers is a legitimate exercise of congressional spending power, not unconstitutional punishment.

Join us in this fight as we prepare for the next phase in this battle. Add your name to the petition: Defund Planned Parenthood Now.

A Victory for Constitutional Principles and Life

The First Circuit’s unanimous decision vacates two lower court orders that had blocked implementation of Section 71113 of the 2025 Reconciliation Act. This provision prevents certain large abortion providers from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements for one year – a critical step toward protecting both taxpayers and the unborn.

The court affirmed that Congress has broad discretionary power to determine how taxpayer dollars are spent. When legislators choose to redirect funds away from abortion providers, they are exercising legitimate constitutional authority. The panel wisely rejected claims that this legislation violates the Constitution, recognizing that establishing conditions on federal funds to protect life is a prospective policy choice, not punishment.

Protecting Taxpayers and Innocent Life

For decades, the ACLJ and pro-life Americans have objected to hard-earned tax dollars flowing to organizations that perform abortions. While the Hyde Amendment prevents direct federal funding of most abortions, the fungible nature of money means that Medicaid reimbursements effectively subsidize the overall operations of abortion providers.

This law takes a meaningful step toward addressing that injustice. By withholding Medicaid funding from certain large abortion providers, Congress is sending a clear message: Organizations cannot expect American taxpayers to fund their operations while they destroy innocent human lives.

This decision represents the fruit of sustained legal advocacy. Our seven briefs to defund the abortion industry have helped build the legal framework that made this victory possible. We’ve consistently argued that protecting innocent life is not only morally imperative but constitutionally sound. The court made clear that abortion providers face a straightforward choice: cease abortion services and continue receiving federal Medicaid funds, or maintain abortion while forgoing taxpayer support. This is a reasonable policy, not punishment.

This decision represents hope for countless unborn children. When the largest abortion provider loses access to hundreds of millions in federal funding, its capacity to destroy life diminishes. Fewer abortions mean more lives saved – more children who will experience life, more mothers who will know the joy of holding their babies. The fight continues, but today, we celebrate this significant victory for life.

Join us in defunding Planned Parenthood once and for all. Sign our petition: Defund Planned Parenthood NOW.