New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today joined a coalition of 21 states in suing the Trump Administration over a provision of the sweeping budget reconciliation law (“Big Beautiful Bill”) that unconstitutionally blocks federal Medicaid funding for essential healthcare services, such as cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing, at Planned Parenthood health centers across the country, including in New Jersey.
Attorney General Platkin, alongside a coalition of 21 Attorneys General, asks the court to enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing this devastating and unlawful provision, which is a direct attack on health care access for millions of low-income Americans and will lead to widespread disruptions in preventative care and increase healthcare costs if allowed to stand.
“The Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans’ blocking of Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood health centers is a direct attack on individuals who rely on accessible, affordable healthcare,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “This decision strips away essential care—including comprehensive family planning services, cancer screenings, sexually transmitted disease testing, and more—for some of our nation’s most vulnerable populations. In New Jersey, we will continue to fight to ensure all have access to the healthcare services that they need.”
“It’s frankly outrageous that Congress and the Trump Administration have targeted essential reproductive health care services for millions of women as part of their radical anti-reproductive freedom agenda. We will not stand idly by as this Administration recklessly threatens access to lifesaving medical care,” said Attorney General Platkin. “New Jerseyans rely on Planned Parenthood health centers to receive cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, birth control, and wellness exams. This unlawful attempt to block federal Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood would make those services much harder to access for many of our state’s low-income residents. We are suing to block this unconstitutional statute and restore access to essential reproductive health care in New Jersey.”
The lawsuit seeks to stop the implementation of a provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Trump earlier this month, referred to here as the “Defund Provision,” that blocks federal Medicaid funding for essential medical services such as cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing, and wellness exams provided at Planned Parenthood health centers.
Defunding Planned Parenthood threatens at least 200 health centers nationwide, affecting healthcare for more than 1.1 million people, many of whom are unlikely to be able to receive care elsewhere. In New Jersey alone, for example, the state’s two Planned Parenthood affiliates operate 20 health centers across the state and serve tens of thousands of patients who are covered by NJ FamilyCare, the State’s Medicaid-funded public health care coverage program, each year. Recent findings from the Guttmacher Institute have demonstrated that other healthcare centers do not have the capacity to serve the number of Americans who currently rely on Planned Parenthood for their healthcare.
Following the enactment of the Defund Provision, Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration challenging the Defund Provision. Last week, following the expiration of a temporary restraining order enjoining the Defund Provision, many Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide were cut off from Medicaid funding. Yesterday, a U.S. District Court granted Planned Parenthood’s requested preliminary injunction in full, concluding that the Defund Provision violates the First Amendment and Equal Protection Clause as well as the prohibition on Bills of Attainder in the U.S. Constitution.
In today’s lawsuit, the coalition argues that the “Defund Provision”, which prohibits federal Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood, is impermissibly ambiguous and exceeds Congress’ authority under the Spending Clause. The lawsuit explains that the Defund Provision is likely to increase health risks, resulting in delayed diagnoses of STIs and cancer and an increase in unintended pregnancies. That will not only cause widespread and devastating harm to the health of our most vulnerable residents, but will also increase the costs that must be shouldered by Medicaid programs. The lawsuit urges the court to enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing the Defund Provision in order to prevent grave harms to public health and the increased costs this provision will impose on the states.
Joining today’s lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia as well as the Governor of Pennsylvania.
