Texas AG Sues Biden Administration Over Abortion Access In Emergencies
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the challenge over federal guidance issued this week telling hospitals and doctors that federal law protects them if a woman needs an abortion as part of emergency treatment. Texas has abortion restrictions that are among the most stringent in the country.
The Texas Tribune:
Texas Sues Biden Administration Over Emergency Abortion Guidance
Texas is suing the Biden administration over guidance released Monday telling the nation’s doctors they’re protected by federal law to terminate a pregnancy as part of emergency treatment — and threatening to defund hospitals that don’t perform these procedures. (Oxner, 7/14)
Modern Healthcare:
Texas Sues Feds Over Emergency Abortions Guidance
The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed the lawsuit. "This is yet another example of an extreme and radical Republican elected official. It is unthinkable that this public official would sue to block women from receiving life-saving care in emergency rooms, a right protected under U.S. law," Jean-Pierre said in a news release. (Goldman, 7/14)
In other abortion news from the Biden administration —
The Washington Post:
White House Debates Declaring Abortion Access A 'Health Emergency'
White House officials are actively debating whether to formally declare abortion access a public health emergency, pitting the belief of many Biden advisers that such a move would be counterproductive against the overwhelming political pressure to show they are fighting hard for abortion rights. Several top Biden aides have expressed internal reservations about declaring an emergency, saying it would give the administration little money and few new powers, according to a White House official and two people familiar with the conversations. (Abutaleb and Parker, 7/14)
