Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many pro-life states have passed legislation protecting unborn life from the evils of abortion. Several states passed laws banning abortion at six weeks gestation, 15 weeks, or at all stages of pregnancy. Some states, like Idaho, took it a step further and outlawed the “abortion trafficking” of minors.
This week, reports broke that Texas would sue abortion giant Planned Parenthood to force it to pay back millions of dollars it received through Medicaid, as well as other fines.
The lawsuit is believed to be the first of its kind brought against Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion provider. The pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute reports that Planned Parenthood performs between 300,000 and 400,000 abortions each year. Over the organization’s past 10 reports, Planned Parenthood has performed over 3 million abortions.
The Texas Tribune reported that last year, the state filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the abortion provider improperly billed Medicaid for $10 million during a period where Texas was working to remove the organization from the program. Now, the state is seeking more than $1.8 billion in reimbursement, penalties, and fees from Planned Parenthood.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard arguments from both sides. He did not immediately rule, the Associated Press reported. Kacsmaryk was the judge who presided over a case surrounding the accessibility of the abortion pill, mifepristone.
On a call with reporters after the hearing, Susan Manning, general counsel for Planned Parenthood, claimed that the case is “meritless” and “the judge should not let it proceed.”
Dr. Amna Dermish, the chief operations and medical services officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said that “we have weathered a lot of storms, but we’ve always been able to come through and be there for our patients,” the Tribune noted.
Texas reportedly brought the lawsuit under the federal False Claims Act, which allows fines for every improper payment, AP noted.
Last year, Texas’ Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton said that it was “unthinkable that Planned Parenthood would continue to take advantage of funding knowing they were not entitled to keep it.”
If the lawsuit is successful, Planned Parenthood might go out of business, Planned Parenthood Federation of American President Alexis McGill Johnson said.
"This baseless case is an active effort to shut down Planned Parenthood health centers,” she claimed.
In June, Townhall interviewed Lila Rose, founder and president of pro-life organization Live Action. On the anniversary of Dobbs, Rose praised Texas’ pro-life efforts.
“Texas has been particularly innovative and bold in protecting children, and they’ve had huge impact in saving lives,” Rose said.
