Federal Judge ROADBLOCKS Biden – Stops Him in His Tracks
(ConservativeHub.com) – When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, people on both sides of the aisle expressed their shock at the decision. Some states outlawed abortion either partially or altogether to protect the lives of unborn Americans. However, President Joe Biden signed an executive order in July focused on protecting “reproductive health.” This directive asked Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish guidelines about abortion in light of a 1986 federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).
Yet, just as pro-abortion activists thought they would catch a break in Texas with this new guidance, a judge shut it down.
New EMTALA Guidelines Would Allow Emergency Abortions in Texas
On July 11, HHS issued a memo stating that physicians must provide abortions to people experiencing health emergencies if physicians consider it “stabilizing treatment.” If a doctor went against this guidance, they could be required to pay up to $119,942 in fines and face removal from Medicare and government healthcare lists.
In response, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) filed a lawsuit on July 14 asking the courts to block the HHS rules in his state, calling them an “unlawful agenda” meant to “undermine and distort existing laws” in a statement. The state AG emphasized the recent SCOTUS ruling allows his state legislature to decide on abortion legality, not the federal government.
Judge Stops EMTALA Rules For Now
On Tuesday, August 23, US District Judge James Wesley Hendrix ruled the Biden administration’s new HHS guidelines could not go into effect in Texas. He noted that the federal government’s rules required Texas medical providers to break the state’s laws, undermining the state’s authority.
All of this comes as Texas’ “trigger law” went into effect on Thursday, August 25. This law could put anyone who performs an abortion — unless the mother’s life is in peril — behind bars. Abortion clinics have been moving out of the state in recent weeks, with most doctors refusing to do the procedure since the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Texas and Washington’s Ongoing Battle Over Abortion
The SCOTUS overturn of Roe v. Wade allowed states to decide individually whether or not abortion was legal within their borders. Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has been going back and forth with the Biden Administration over his state’s right to make this decision. The incumbent governor is determined to protect unborn children and has repeatedly said his state is pro-life. It’s unclear whether or not Hendrix’s ruling will remain in effect.
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