The DOJ lawsuit has a hearing date scheduled for Oct. 1, but it petitioned Judge Pitman to grant a temporary restraining order against the Texas Heartbeat Act's enforcement until the case is decided. In a victory for pro-life advocates, Judge Pitman (an Obama appointee) denied the DOJ's request. This means that the Texas Heartbeat Act will see enforcement for the time being.
Judge Pitman refused a request by the DOJ to hold the hearing sooner, saying that Texas "wished to be heard." The state has until Sept. 29 to argue its case. After that, the DOJ will have until Oct. 1 to respond.
Renae Eze, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's press secretary, gave a response to Judge Pitman's Oct. 1 hearing date. “The most precious freedom is life itself. Texas passed a law that ensures that the life of every child with a heartbeat will be spared from the ravages of abortion,” Eze said in statement to The Hill. “Unfortunately, President Biden and his Administration are more interested in changing the national narrative from their disastrous Afghanistan evacuation and reckless open border policies instead of protecting the innocent unborn.”
