US judge invalidates Biden rule protecting privacy for abortions [View all]
Source: Reuters
June 18, 2025 7:45 PM EDT Updated 11 hours ago
June 18 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a rule adopted by the administration of former President Joe Biden that strengthened privacy protections for women seeking abortions and patients who receive gender transition treatments.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services exceeded its powers and unlawfully limited states' ability to enforce their public health laws when it adopted the rule last year. The rule prohibits healthcare providers and insurers from giving information about a legal abortion to state law enforcement authorities who are seeking to punish someone in connection with that abortion.
"HHS lacked clear delegated authority to fashion special protections for medical information produced by politically favored medical procedures," wrote Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, a Republican, during his first term.
Kacsmaryk in December had blocked HHS from enforcing the rule against a Texas doctor who had brought the lawsuit, Carmen Purl, pending the outcome of the case. Wednesday's decision blocks the rule nationwide. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-judge-invalidates-biden-rule-protecting-privacy-abortions-2025-06-18/
Kacsmaryk's name has been conspicuously absent of late but he has now come roaring back. This is the type of case where the GOP loons would support and insist on judges being able to impose "nationwide injunctions", but only THEIR judges.
= new reply since forum marked as read