Students for Life of America, a Council for Life Beneficiary,
gathers in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in April during oral arguments for Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

As America celebrated its independence on July 4, President Donald Trump signed the “Big Beautiful Bill ” into law, which included the historic provision to DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD— the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Big Beautiful Bill signing ceremony on July 4, 2025

Called the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2025, the new law took effect immediately and blocks hundreds of millions of Federal taxpayer funded Medicaid payments from Planned Parenthood and its affiliates for one year. Even though the original version of the Act cut off funding for 10 years, the Act is still a huge victory and arguably the biggest pro-life win since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe three years ago.

The federal measure to defund Planned Parenthood was shepherded and fought for unrelentingly by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other pro-life leadership in Congress as they scrambled to meet the July 4th self-imposed deadline.

The legislation, combined with the pivotal ruling by SCOTUS in the Medina case providing states the freedom to direct taxpayer dollars away from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers, is a major setback to the abortion industry.

(See Council for Life News HERE and HERE)

PLANNED PARENTHOOD SWIFTLY CHALLENGED WITH LEGAL ACTION

Planned Parenthood immediately filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the District of Massachusetts against U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert H. Kennedy, Jr., challenging the defunding. 

U.S. District Judge
Indira Talwani

Boston U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani placed a Temporary Restraining Order for 14 days, then a Preliminary Injunction yesterday, to block the defunding of Planned Parenthood agencies that receive more than $800,000 in Federal Medicaid funding.

Last week, HHS appealed Judge Talwani’s Order, sending the matter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Yesterday’s Injunction will be in force until the First Circuit takes action.

(See U.S. District Judge Talwani’s Order HERE, New York Times article HERE and HHS Appeal HERE)

Each year, the abortion industry receives hundreds of millions of Federal taxpayer dollars. According to Planned Parenthood’s 2023-2024 Annual Report entitled “A Force for Hope”, the organization performed more than 400,000 abortions and received nearly $800 Million — more than $2 Million every day — in U.S. taxpayer funding.

(See Planned Parenthood 2023-2024 Annual Report HERE and Council for Life News HERE)

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINICS ARE CLOSING ACROSS THE U.S. INCLUDING FLAGSHIP MANHATTAN AND HOUSTON CLINICS 

Planned Parenthood’s enormous 78,000-square-foot abortion clinic in Houston, the largest abortion clinic in the Western Hemisphere, just announced it is closing.

Due to financial and operational challenges, the closure of abortion clinics across the United States has been a trend since the overturn of Roe even in states where abortion remains legal. In May, Planned Parenthood closed its infamous Bleeker Street abortion clinic in the heart of Manhattan. (See NPR article HERE and Catholic New Agency article HERE)

Planned Parenthood laments that this month’s Federal defunding will result in even more clinic closures, stating “the harm from this law will be immediate and devastating” and “as many as 200 Planned Parenthood health centers are at risk of shutting down.” (See Planned Parenthood website HERE)

A few days ago, Planned Parenthood announced two of its facilities in Houston, Texas, will be shutting down this Fall. One of the facilities is the 78,000-square-foot clinic that is the largest abortion facility in the Western Hemisphere. When former Planned Parenthood Director turned Pro-Life Advocate and Council for Life 2025 Life Lessons and Young Leaders Event Speaker Abby Johnson learned of the closure, she responded emotionally on social media, remembering the many lives that were taken there.

In an interview with Fox News, 40 Days for Life Founder and Council for Life 2025 Luncheon Speaker Shawn Carney, a Houston resident, expressed “both personal and professional elation” at the shuttering of the Houston facilities. 40 Days for Life has prayed and held vigils outside the Houston mega-facility since 2006. (See Fox News article HERE)

Please Pray

Please pray the Legislative, Judicial and Executive branches of the U.S. Government will stand resolute that our Federal taxpayer dollars cannot be used to fund Planned Parenthood and its deadly destruction of innocent unborn babies and tremendous harm to women.