On Sept. 25, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha P’19 P’22 joined a coalition in filing for a preliminary injunction to block ongoing federal funding cuts to Planned Parenthood health centers.
In filing the motion, Neronha, 22 other attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania targeted the “Defund Provision” of President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The provision prohibits entities that perform abortions — such as Planned Parenthood clinics — from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursements, although it makes exceptions for entities that only perform abortions in life-threatening cases and cases of rape or incest.
“As the federal government continues its attempts to dismantle health care in this country, we have no time to spare in shielding Americans from the harm these initiatives will cause,” Neronha wrote in a statement sent to The Herald.
Planned Parenthood clinics “provide essential health care services for the most vulnerable members of our communities,” including breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings, as well as the prevention and treatment of communicable diseases, he added.
Gretchen Raffa, chief policy and advocacy officer for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, said the provision will prevent more than 1 million patients from “getting the essential care they need.” She added that more than 200 health centers would be at risk of closing, making it harder for “everyone, everywhere, to get abortion care — including in states where abortion is legally protected.”
Raffa also called the policy a “backdoor abortion ban,” explaining that over 90% of the health centers at risk of closure are located in states where abortion is legally protected, including Rhode Island.
The coalition initially filed a suit against the Trump administration about the Planned Parenthood defunding on July 29. “The coalition’s lawsuit alleges that the Defund Provision violates the U.S. Constitution’s Spending Clause due to the lack of clear notice and the inclusion of unconstitutional provisions,” reads a Sept. 25 press release from Neronha’s office.
According to the press release, the motion for injunction is based on two key critiques of the provision: failure to define exactly which health centers are affected, and ambiguities relating to the duration of the provision.
The press release emphasized that the provision also poses a threat to states’ rights: Historically, states, not the federal government, have determined which providers qualify for Medicaid reimbursements.
Every year, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England’s 15 locations across Rhode Island and Connecticut see over 60,000 patients, according to their website.
“Everyone should be able to access the health care they need and deserve, and access it from their trusted health care provider,” Raffa said.
Cara Hutton ’26, co-president of Planned Parenthood Advocates at Brown, explained that long-term ramifications of this provision could extend beyond reproductive health. While some patients receive birth control and abortion treatment at Planned Parenthood, others “get their primary care there, and so it’s really important that we’re fighting against this,” she said.
“Every day that this provision is in effect means more patients cannot use their health insurance to see their trusted health care provider,” Raffa said. “That causes harm to patients.”
Neronha wrote that “in Rhode Island, we already have primary care shortages, hospitals on the brink of closure and newly approved increases in health insurance rates,” all of which “have families choosing between rent, food and health insurance coverage.”
“We cannot afford another hit to our health system, and we won’t let this administration’s unlawful actions make the situation worse,” Neronha added.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
