A federal judge in Washington state will hear arguments in two cases against new Trump administration rules that could cut off federal funding for health care providers who refer patients for an abortion.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association brought the lawsuits, saying that if the rules take effect next week as scheduled they would curb access to care such as contraception and breast and cervical cancer screening for millions of low-income people.
A federal judge in Oregon this week said he will at least partially block the new rules in response to a separate lawsuit brought by 20 states, and a federal judge in California is considering a challenge there.
Thursday’s arguments will be in U.S. District Court in Yakima.