Biden Administration Prepares to Sue Texas Over Abortion Law

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Source: Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON—The Biden administration is preparing to sue Texas over its new law banning most abortions, people familiar with the matter said, an action that would set off a federal-state clash at a time when the future of abortion rights becomes an ever-more-pressing question before the courts.

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-prepares-to-sue-texas-over-abortion-law-11631151641

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Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. Biden Administration to Sue Texas Over Anti-Abortion Law as Soon as Thursday: Report

This will be fun to watch https://www.mediaite.com/news/biden-administration-to-sue-texas-over-anti-abortion-law-as-soon-as-thursday-report/

President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice is preparing to sue the state of Texas over its restrictive new abortion law that went into effect last week, The Wall Street Journal is reporting. It could be filed as soon as Thursday.

Signed in May, the law bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is around six weeks into pregnancy. But rather than rely on state officials from enforcing the law, the legislation allows “any person, other than an officer or employee of a state or local governmental entity in this state” to sue any person who “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.”

The statute is written broadly enough so that it could conceivably leave open to liability any taxi or ride-hailing app drivers who transport women to clinics for the purpose of getting an abortion. Uber and Lyft have already said they will cover the legal fees of any drivers who are sued under the law.

Plaintiffs who are successful can be awarded at least $10,000 per defendant.

As the Journal noted, “Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday that the Justice Department was urgently exploring all of its options, which legal experts said could include attempting to strip federal funding and trying to determine whether there are federal facilities within the state that could provide abortions.”

[LeftInTX]

4. It must be bad if Allen Dershowitz says it's bad!

Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz has panned the law, calling it “so unconstitutional, I don’t even know where to begin.”

[C Moon]

7. Probably on purpose. They want to make sure abortion is on the table for the mid terms.

[Moebym]

2. Go get 'em! n/t

[Bayard]

3. YAY!!

Fingers and all other appendages crossed for this one.


BTW--I've read several articles interviewing doctors lately that say there can be NO fetal heartbeat at 6 wks, because the heart isn't even formed yet. But I doubt medical science played a part in writing this asinine law.

[Moebym]

6. It was pure red meat for their rabid base. n/t

[ShazzieB]

10. There's not even a fetus at 6 weeks!

It's an embryo at that stage! So the terminology in the law is completely effed up, talking about a "fetal heartbeat" in an embryo that doesn't have anything resembling a heart yet!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. Justice Department planning to sue Texas over abortion law

Link to tweet

The Department of Justice is planning to sue Texas as soon as this week, POLITICO has confirmed, a move that comes just days after Attorney General Merrick Garland said his department is exploring options to challenge the state’s strict abortion law.

While the lawsuit could come as soon as Thursday, it’s possible the timeline will be pushed back, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the Justice Department’s preparations. The Biden administration has faced building pressure to act after the Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect in a 5-4 decision.

The Justice Department’s lawsuit is expected to argue that the Texas law illegally interferes with federal interests.

The new Texas law, SB 8, bans abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually around six weeks, before some women even know they are pregnant. The law places enforcement responsibilities on private parties, by incentivizing individuals who can recover $10,000 or more if they win a case against a party they accuse of performing or aiding in an abortion. By putting enforcement powers in the hands of private citizens, instead of state or local government officials, it leaves opponents of the bill without an obvious party to sue.

[calimary]

8. Throw the book at 'em!

Heck, throw the WHOLE LIBRARY at ‘em!

[cstanleytech]

9. Biden should be prepared also to strip as much military spending inside Texas and transfer out

as many federal agencies and personal as he can as that would really apply pressure to the state.

[Hekate]

11. Hey, wait, I thought Prez Biden and AG Garland were "doing nothing"!

Doesn't this kind of upset that narrative?

Go, Joe!

[ShazzieB]

13. Yeah, how about that?

I don't know what some people are going to talk about around here if they have to stop crticizing Joe and Merrick for "doing nothing!"

I guess they'll just have to settle for complaining that they're not doing "enough."

[bucolic_frolic]

12. The whole citizens-as-vigilante concept must be trashed ASAP

States could enable vigilantes over anything - medicines, not carrying debt, voting democratic. I mean to say, it could get really weird and unimaginable. This is a 10 alarm fire.

[ShazzieB]

14. Yes, that is the scariest part of this law.

I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous and awful, but REWARDING people for spying on each other opens the door to SO many terrifying possibilities.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

15. AG Garland is on TV discussing lawsuit