Attorney General Tong Sues Trump Administration for Attempting to Block Federal Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood

Press Releases

07/29/2025

Attorney General Tong Sues Trump Administration for Attempting to Block Federal Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood

(Hartford, CT) — Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 23 states in suing the Trump Administration over the sweeping budget reconciliation law (“Big Beautiful Bill”), specifically the “Defund Provision,” signed by President Donald Trump this month.

This provision, which targets Planned Parenthood, is a direct attack on the healthcare access of millions of low-income Americans, disproportionally affecting women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and communities of color. This provision specifically blocks Medicaid reimbursements for essential healthcare services, such as cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing-at Planned Parenthood health centers. The coalition asks the court to enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing this devastating and unlawful provision, which will lead to widespread disruptions in preventative care and increase healthcare costs if allowed to stand. The States should not be co-opted into executing this unconstitutional provision, which will only erect arbitrary barriers to low-income patients seeking care.

“Interfering with people’s healthcare means risking their lives,” said Attorney General Tong. “This is yet another mean-spirited attack on women, LGBTQ+ individuals, communities of color, low-income patients, and providers. The State of Connecticut will not be a tool for this Administration’s unlawful agenda. The ‘Defund Provision’ impacts not only Planned Parenthood, but it undermines the public health of Connecticut’s residents, the goals of the Medicaid program and the State of Connecticut’s budget, which is why we are joining other states in filing this action today -- to protect the interests of all our residents.”

"Every person, no matter where they live, what kind of care they need, or how much money they have, should be able to get high-quality, affordable health care,” said Gretchen Raffa, Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “We are grateful to Attorney General Tong for fighting to protect reproductive rights and defend our freedoms in court. Planned Parenthood of Southern New England will never stop protecting access to care. Our patients and communities in Connecticut and Rhode Island are counting on us. We will not let them down."

The “Big Beautiful Bill,” which was signed by President Trump into law earlier this month, includes a detrimental clause that blocks federal Medicaid funding for essential medical services such as cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing, and wellness exams provided at “prohibited entities”, which, in Connecticut, are Planned Parenthood health centers. The criteria for a “prohibited entity” –defined as a healthcare provider or its affiliates that is a non-profit, an essential health provider who primarily provides family planning or reproductive healthcare services, that received more than $800,000 in Medicaid funds in FY2023, and provides abortions NOT covered by federal Medicaid as of October 1, 2025 - were crafted so that this Defund Provision applies almost exclusively to Planned Parenthood.

The Defund Provision 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. Despite claims that other healthcare centers like Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can absorb these patients, recent findings from the Guttmacher Institute indicated that FQHCs do not have the capacity to serve the number of Americans who currently rely on Planned Parenthood for their healthcare. In Connecticut, Planned Parenthood provides care to over 24,000 individual patients on Medicaid each year.

Planned Parenthood Federation of American filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the prohibited Medicaid reimbursements. But last week, following the expiration of a temporary restraining order enjoining the Defund Provision, most Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide became cut off from Medicaid funding. Yesterday, the court granted Planned Parenthood’s 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 filing, the coalition argues that the Defund Provision, which prohibits Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood, is impermissibly ambiguous and violates Congress’ Spending Clause power. They highlight that the provision is likely to increase health risks, including delayed diagnoses of STIs and cancer and increased unintended pregnancies, which will result not only in widespread and devastating effects on the health of our most vulnerable residents, but also increased costs of $30 million over the next five years and $52 million over the next ten years in Medicaid programs.

Joining Attorney General Tong in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as Josh Shapiro in his official capacity as governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

A copy of the lawsuit is available here.

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