United States: Biden government sues state of Texas for law restricting access to abortion

The US Department of Justice on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas over its new law banning abortions. after six weeks of gestation.

“The law is clearly unconstitutional”, Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference.

The government of the American president, Joe Biden, is under pressure from feminist groups and some Democrats, who have called on the Justice Department to do everything possible to curb the restrictions. access to abortion in the southern state.

Texas’ new law, which came into effect a week ago, prohibits abortion at six weeks gestation, when the fetal heartbeat can be detected, although in some cases many women do not even know they are pregnant. There are no exceptions in cases of incest or rape.

In addition, it allows individuals to bring civil lawsuits against anyone who assists a pregnant woman to have an abortion if they believe they are violating the ban., and offers damages of up to $ 10,000 to the plaintiff if he wins the lawsuit.

On Monday, Merrick garland assured that he was exploring urgently all options to meet Texas law, to “protect the constitutional rights of women and others, including abortion,” legalized by the United States Supreme Court in 1973.

As reported CBS News, Lawyers for the Department of Justice argued in their 30-page complaint that the law was enacted at the “open challenge” of the Constitution and said the goal of the measure was “to make the operation of an abortion clinic in the state too risky, thereby preventing women across Texas from exercising their constitutional rights, while frustrating control. judicial”.

Justice Department asks court to declare law, known as SB 8, invalid and prevent “government officials, employees and agents, including private parties who would prosecute under the law”, from applying it.

The attorney general warned that if the law prevails, it could become a model for other states regarding other constitutional rights or judicial precedents: “This type of ploy, aimed at overturning the Constitution of the United States, is a project that all Americans, regardless of their politics or party, should fear.”

This measure is the first big step of the Biden administration to face the new law, the most restrictive in the country in terms of access to abortion.

Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with abortion and reproductive health service providers and patients to discuss the impact of the Texas law. She plans to stress that protecting abortion rights is a key priority for the Biden administration, Jen Psaki revealed to accredited White House reporters.

On Monday, Garland also stated that the government plans to enforce a 1994 federal law that protects free access to abortion clinics, and punishes those who intentionally cause material damage to centers that offer reproduction services.

Last week, hours after the Texas law came into effect, the United States Supreme Court, with a strengthened conservative majority, decided not to block the legislation, although it did not assess whether it was constitutional or not.

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