Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, as part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief supporting Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit challenging a provision in the sweeping budget reconciliation law that eliminates federal funding for health care services provided by its health centers.

The so-called Defund Provision blocks federal Medicaid funding for any health care services provided by Planned Parenthood health centers. Although federal law already disallowed federal funding for abortion, the Defund Provision targets other essential medical services normally covered by Medicaid, such as cancer screenings, birth control, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and wellness exams.

“This provision is a direct attack on access to health care for millions of low-income Americans and disproportionately harms women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and communities of color,” Raoul said. “Without Planned Parenthood, many patients in our states would be left without access to lifesaving screenings and reproductive care. I will continue advocating for vital federal funding that ensures every person in Illinois has access to the health care services they need.”

Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of sexual and reproductive health care in the United States. In fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Planned Parenthood provided 9.45 million services across the country, including 425,000 cancer screening and prevention services, 2.2 million contraceptive services, and 4.1 million tests and treatments for STIs, as well as primary care visits, pregnancy tests and prenatal services.

The Defund Provision threatens at least 200 Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide, affecting health care for more than 1.1 million people, many of whom are unlikely to be able to receive care elsewhere. Raoul and the attorneys general argue in their brief that other providers do not have the capacity to handle the number of patients that Planned Parenthood health centers treat.

The attorneys general also note that because many other providers opt not to accept Medicaid patients, Planned Parenthood is often one of the only providers of reproductive health care services in rural and underserved areas. 

In July, a lower court preliminarily enjoined enforcement of the Defund Provision, concluding that Planned Parenthood had demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on the claims that the Defund Provision violated First Amendment and the equal rights protected by the United States Constitution.

Today’s brief, filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, supports that preliminary injunction, providing the court with additional evidence of the irreparable injury that implementation of the Defund Provision would have on the states and their citizens.

In July, Raoul and a coalition of attorneys general sued the Trump administration over the Defund Provision, which is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Raoul was joined in filing today’s brief by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.