President Joe Biden’s Justice Department is suing the state of Texas over its newest pro-life law, which prohibits killing babies in utero if they have a detectable heartbeat.
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the lawsuit on Thursday and asked an Austin district court to block Texas “officers, employees and agents, including private parties who would bring suit under the law” from implementing it.
“The act is clearly unconstitutional under longstanding Supreme Court precedent,” Garland said on Thursday.
"Today, after careful assessment of the facts and the law, the Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas." — Attorney General Merrick Garland on the state's new abortion law pic.twitter.com/bpuXhq6gpV
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) September 9, 2021
The lawsuit argues that the law, which allows private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion, is in “open defiance” of the Constitution and “make[s] it too risky for an abortion clinic to operate in the state, thereby preventing women throughout Texas from exercising their constitutional rights, while simultaneously thwarting judicial review.”
“This kind of scheme, to nullify the Constitution of the United States, is one that all Americans, whatever their politics or party, should fear,” Garland said.
The White House previously expressed discontent with the law and promised to take action against the Lone Star State.
Jen Psaki discusses Pres. Biden’s view of Texas' abortion restrictions pic.twitter.com/wMDYXvKC1W
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 2, 2021
In a 5-4 decision issued last week, the Supreme Court declined to block the law despite protests from Planned Parenthood, other abortion activists, and even journalists.
Source: The Federalist
