In a blow to the Trump administration, a federal judge declared on January 14 that the administration's rules exempting employers from providing birth control as part of their health care coverage were invalid nationwide. The decision has reignited the debate over the extent of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) provisions and enforcement mechanisms and the Trump administration's attempts to roll back the law's requirements. Opponents of the requirement to provide birth control argue it infringes upon an employer or organization's right to exercise sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. Current government officials assert these rights are inscribed in the Constitution and insist that to withhold coverage in this area of women's health is not tantamount to denying women access to birth control, pointing to a number of government-supported programs that continue to provide access.

Supporters of the ruling say it represents an important victory for women's health and equality. They argue the Trump administration's rules enabled employers to use a broadened interpretation of religious liberty to discriminate against women on the basis of their health care choices. In turn, they contend the Trump administration's rules had effectively allowed employers to impose their beliefs on women seeking contraception. Key women's advocacy groups further consider the economic empowerment of women to be a necessary condition of gender equality, and highlight statistics that show that young women, especially those from minority groups, have saved millions of dollars as a result of expanded birth control access.