Anti-abortion law: Biden administration files lawsuit against Texas

The government of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, filed a complaint Thursday, September 9, against Texas in order to obtain the annulment of a particularly restrictive law on the voluntary termination of pregnancy in this conservative southern state . The law, which entered into force on 1^er September was strongly denounced by the Democratic President, “Is clearly unconstitutional with regard to the case law of the Supreme Court”, declared the Minister of Justice, Merrick Garland, during a press conference.

“The Department of Justice is responsible for upholding the United States Constitution and the rule of law. Today, we are fulfilling this duty by filing a complaint ”, he added, ensuring that he acted “After an examination of the law and the facts” and not under ” pressure “ Politics.

Texas law has forbidden, for more than a week, to abort once the heartbeat of the embryo is detected, that is to say at about six weeks of pregnancy. At this stage, most women are still unaware that they are pregnant. This law also does not provide for an exception in the event of incest or rape, but only in the event of a medical emergency.

For “safe and legal” access to abortion

The Supreme Court of the United States guaranteed, in its judgment “Roe against Wade”, the right of women to abort as long as the fetus is not viable, that is to say around twenty-two weeks of pregnancy. However, she refused to intervene for the moment in the Texas case, citing “Procedural matters”. The Texan law includes, in fact, a new device, which complicates the intervention of the federal courts. It is therefore not up to the authorities to enforce the measure, but “Exclusively” to citizens, encouraged to bring a civil complaint against organizations or people who help women to have abortions.

A week ago, Joe Biden lambasted the Supreme Court’s decision not to suspend the law and promised “An immediate response” of his government, to whom he had ordered to find “Measures to ensure that women in Texas have access to safe and legal abortion”.