Two federal judges have now issued nationwide injunctions blocking new federal regulations that would have defunded as much as $60 million in taxpayer funding from Planned Parenthood – the nation’s largest abortion business. Now these cases are headed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the ACLJ is preparing to take action.

The fight to defend the “Protect Life” federal regulations defunding Planned Parenthood is being taken to the next level. As we explained earlier, the “Protect Life” regulations prohibit the use of Title X money “to perform, promote, refer for, or support abortion as a method of family planning.”  Title X is a federal program dedicated to providing preconception family planning services to the nation’s neediest citizens. Planned Parenthood has operated Title X clinics in order to promote abortion to Title X patients who are pregnant. In fact, in many cases, Planned Parenthood operates Title X clinics in the same building where it performs abortions. In essence, Planned Parenthood uses Title X funds to subsidize its abortion operations.

As anticipated, the very liberal district courts in Oregon and California struck down the regulations.  The California court enjoined the regulations in California alone, but the Oregon Court issued a nationwide injunction notwithstanding that thirteen states filed an amicus brief arguing that the court should not impose its view on the states who support the regulations.  In a similar lawsuit filed in the state of Washington, the court also issued a nationwide injunction. The judicial hubris is staggering.

The California court justified its decision by ruling held the regulations “inflict severe public health consequences on the state.” Not be outdone, the Oregon court stated that the regulations “recklessly disregard the health outcomes of women, families, and communities.”

Yes, you read that right: the California and Oregon District Courts held that stripping taxpayer dollars from the abortion industry will create a public health crisis. These decisions are wholly unsupported by law and it is no wonder that Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion states chose these leftist courts in which to file their lawsuits.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and we expect that the appellate court will consolidate the three cases from California, Oregon, and Washington. The ACLJ has already filed formal public comments in support of the rule and amicus briefs in two of these cases at the trial court level. And we will continue our support of the government’s defense of the regulations on appeal, including if, as is likely, the case goes all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States.

With your continuing support, we will file another amicus brief defending the Protect Life regulations and turning off the spigot funneling taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood.