District Judge Indira Talwani Halts US Defund Law: Potential Impeachment Ignited

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani has temporarily blocked a key provision of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which aimed to strip federal Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood in twenty-two states. The ruling, issued late Tuesday, halted enforcement while noting that Congress may have exceeded its constitutional authority regarding the measure’s structure and application.

This decision sparked immediate backlash among several Republican lawmakers who argued the judiciary overstepped bounds into legislative territory. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), a former assistant U.S. attorney in Salt Lake City with experience before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, denounced Judge Talwani’s ruling on social media and called for a congressional remedy.

The supporters of “One Big Beautiful Bill” maintained that Congress crafted the measure precisely to withstand legal scrutiny by incorporating multiple appropriations directives into one comprehensive law. They believed it offered sufficient constitutional backing for defunding efforts previously blocked judicially.

While Medicaid funds abortions directly through this legislation, Talwani’s opinion questioned whether funding non-abortion services still indirectly supports abortion access was also raised in court arguments regarding the scope of “The Hyde Amendment.” The judge acknowledged these complexities without explicitly endorsing their view on constitutionality or legislative intent beyond her ruling to temporarily halt enforcement.