Judge Limits Trump Administration's Push to Cut Planned Parenthood Teen Pregnancy Grants

In a decision issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper partially enjoined the Trump administration’s effort to redirect Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program funds away from Planned Parenthood affiliates. The judge said the Health and Human Services department cannot impose abstinence-only curricula that Congress never authorized for the program created in 2009. Plaintiffs such as Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, Hennepin County, Minnesota, and King County, Washington, contended that the agency’s new criteria would abruptly cancel the majority of active grants.

Cooper criticized the policy as ignoring scientific evidence and “defying social reality.” He noted that prohibiting any discussion of sexual activity would make it impossible for grantees to address teen pregnancy risks. Planned Parenthood’s president and CEO Ruth Richardson hailed the ruling as a defense of evidence-based education for youth. The case highlights ongoing disputes over federal funding priorities for sexual health education.