This is a big win for conservatives.
In a landmark victory for President Trump and the conservative movement, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that South Carolina can legally block Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood. The decision is a major blow to pro-abortion groups and a powerful affirmation of states’ rights to control public healthcare dollars.
Court Sides with States on Medicaid Funding and Abortion Law
The 6-3 decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic rejected the claim that Medicaid patients have the right to sue under federal civil rights law to force taxpayer funding of controversial healthcare providers. At the center of the case was Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, a law that liberal activists have used to challenge conservative state policies.
The Supreme Court ruled that individuals cannot use this law to demand access to Planned Parenthood through Medicaid. Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, explained that Congress did not clearly create an individual “right” in the Medicaid statute that allows lawsuits against state decisions on provider qualifications.
“Decisions about where public funds go belong to the people’s elected representatives,” Gorsuch wrote. “Not unelected judges.”
Trump-Appointed Justices Tip the Balance Toward Accountability
This ruling highlights the lasting impact of President Trump’s appointments to the Supreme Court. With a solid conservative majority, the Court is now putting a stop to federal overreach and restoring the constitutional balance between states and Washington, D.C.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster praised the decision, saying it allows his state to ensure taxpayer dollars are not indirectly subsidizing abortion providers.
He originally issued an executive order in 2018 removing Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid provider list, arguing that state funds should go to comprehensive care clinics, not organizations tied to abortion.
Liberals Call It “Healthcare Access,” But Taxpayers Know Better
Planned Parenthood and its allies claim the case is about “access to care.” But conservative leaders say the group is using public funding to stay afloat, even though federal law already prohibits Medicaid from paying for abortions—except in very limited circumstances.
South Carolina residents on Medicaid still have access to over 200 publicly funded health clinics that provide everything from cancer screenings to birth control and gynecological care—without the political controversy.
The liberal dissent, led by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, accused the majority of “hollowing out” rights under Section 1983. But the real issue, conservatives argue, is restoring control to the people and respecting the rule of law.
A Constitutional Victory for States’ Rights and Conservative Values
The case represents a sharp rebuke to the activist courts and progressive legal groups that have long tried to use judicial activism to push abortion-related agendas through the back door.
More importantly, this ruling protects the rights of taxpaying Americans to decide where their money goes—and stops unelected judges from forcing states to fund providers they’ve already rejected.
With President Trump leading the charge for restoring limited government, fiscal accountability, and traditional values, this Supreme Court win couldn’t have come at a better time.
