Pritzker Signs Bill Stripping Conscience Rights from Illinoisans

On Monday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed SB 1169 into law. This bill amends the Healthcare Right of Conscience Act so that Illinoisans can no longer use the law to receive exemptions from their employers' COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

SB 1169 amends the Healthcare Right of Conscience Act in such a way that none of the protections it provides can apply to measure designed to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. As a result, employers could potentially discriminate against those who object to COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals could be fired or excluded from consideration for schools or jobs.

Many pro-life advocates object to vaccine mandates and apply for conscientious exemptions. This is because all currently available COVID-19 vaccines were developed and/or produced with the use of stem cell lines harvested from aborted babies.

The amendment is set to come into effect on June 1, 2022.

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US Gives $5 Million for UN to Distribute Abortion Supplies Worldwide

On Nov. 1, the US State Department announced that it will give an inaugural $5 million to the United States Population Fund. The UNFPA uses contributions from donors to distribute maternal health supplies, which by their definition includes drugs and equipment designed to end the lives of the unborn.

By using UNFPA Supplies as a third party to distribute abortion-inducing items, the Biden administration is avoiding conflict with the 1973 Helms Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act. That law prohibits the use of government funds to distribute abortion-inducing items.

No prior administration in US history has funded UNFPA Supplies. This is largely due to the organization's support for abortion, its connection with China's population-controlling policies, and the UN's desire to push pro-life countries to legalize abortion.

Among other things, the UNFPA is known to distribute portable abortion devices called manual vacuum aspirator kits, and the abortion drugs misoprostol and mifepristone.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and MSI Reproductive Health (formerly Marie Stopes International) are two of the organizations that receive materials from UNFPA.

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Federal Court Blocks Biden Vaccine Mandate for Businesses

A three-judge panel from the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a temporary injunction on Nov. 6 to block the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees.

The mandate specifically troubles pro-life workers who take issue with the fact that all currently available COVID-19 vaccines were developed and/or produced with the use of stem cell lines harvested from aborted babies.

The Biden mandate, which was set to take effect on Jan. 4, would require employers to “develop, implement, and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy” or have their workers “undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work in lieu of vaccination.”

The temporary injunction was made after a group of businesses and the states of Texas, Utah, Mississippi filed lawsuits against the Biden administration. All of these parties argued that they would be negatively affected by the mandate, and the judges were inclined to agree with them.

The Fifth Circuit wrote in its decision that the petitioners' arguments, “give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate.” Arguments in the case have been expedited to begin this week. The petitioners have motioned for the court to issue a permanent injunction against the mandate.

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Build Back Better Reconciliation Bill would Expand Taxpayer Funding of Abortions

The multi-trillion dollar "Build Back Better" (BBB) reconciliation spending bill (HR 5376) being considered by federal legislators would create several avenues through which taxpayer dollars would fund elective abortion.

The BBB bill includes several provisions that are not regulated by the Hyde Amendment, which has been a bipartisan addition to every federal appropriations bill for decades. Because of this, federal tax dollars allocated under the bill will be able to subsidize elective abortion. This spending could come from entities such as the Department of Health and Human Services and programs such as Medicaid.

The BBB reconciliation bill would mandate that states cover abortion under Obamacare plans. The 2010 Obamacare law allowed states to pass laws banning abortion coverage in their state exchanges, and 25 states currently passed such laws. If the BBB bill is passed, many of these state laws will be overridden.

Additionally, the BBB bill would increase subsidies for Obamacare through 2025. This means that Obamacare plans will have more taxpayer funding available to them that can be used to subsidize elective abortions.

Finally, the BBB bill would allow billions of dollars to be allocated through "public health grants." These funds could be used to fund abortion training and research or used to enable abortion-expansive policies.

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Judge's Injunction Blocks Biden from Firing Employees with Pending Religious Exemptions

On Oct. 29th, a district judge in Washington D.C. issued a temporary injunction preventing plaintiffs in the case from being fired for not complying with the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate while they have pending religious exemptions.

Many pro-life advocates have applied for religious exemptions from the Biden mandate. This is because all currently available COVID-19 vaccines were developed and/or produced using lines of stem cells harvested from aborted babies.

Bill Clinton appointed District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued the restraining order after civilian and military plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the Biden vaccine mandate. “None of the civilian employee plaintiffs will be subject to discipline while his or her request for a religious exception is pending,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in the order.

Her ruling continued, stating that, “active duty military plaintiffs, whose religious exception requests have been denied, will not be disciplined or separated during the pendency of their appeals.” She further noted that the Biden administration has provided “no guarantee of what will happen … if their exemption requests are denied.”

The plaintiffs' attorney Michael Yoder praised the judge's decision, saying, we are one step closer to putting the Biden administration back in its place by limiting government to its enumerated powers. It’s time citizens and courts said no to tyranny. The Constitution does not need to be rewritten, it needs to be reread.”

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European Abortionist Sends Abortion Pills from India to Texas Women

Netherland abortionist Rebecca Gomperts has vowed to continue sending abortion pills to the United States to circumvent pro-life US laws.

Gomperts founded the organizations Women on Waves and Aid Access to distribute abortion pills in places where abortion is restricted or prohibited. According to Live Action, Gomperts has used drones to drop abortion pills in Poland and attempted to use a Dutch ship to bring abortion to Guatemala. In the latter instance, she was turned away by the Guatemalan army, which pointed out that her only purpose in the country was to violate its constitution.

Gomperts and Aid Access are now focused on distributing abortion pills in Texas by having them mailed from India.

“We have nine U.S. providers who are licensed and serving 18 states, and then, if you’re in any of the other states, then Dr. Gomperts is the provider for the other states,” Christie Pitney of Aid Access told KHOU, a Houston-based television station. “We have a unique opportunity with Dr. Gomperts being in Europe that we’re able to provide telehealth abortion to all 50 states.”

“Being outside in Europe, kind of puts her in this nice gray area where she’s still able to provide that care,” Pitney continued. “It’s essential healthcare that everyone should have access to and so we’re going to continue to provide that care.”

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Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Texas Heartbeat Act Case

On Monday morning, the Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments in two cases challenging Texas's Heartbeat Act. The Heartbeat Act allows individuals to file lawsuits against those who participate in the abortion of unborn babies with detectable heartbeats (children of 6 weeks gestation or older). Those cases are Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson and United States v. Texas.

Neither of these cases challenges the constitutionality of a law prohibiting the abortion of children whose heartbeats are detectable. Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson is a challenge to the law's unique enforcement method. In United States v. Texas, the Supreme Court is only considering whether the Biden administration even has the legal standing the sue Texas in federal court.

Whole Women's Health and the Biden administration argued that the Texas law violates the "right" to abortion established under Roe v. Wade, while Texas Solicitor General Judd E. Stone argued that neither party had the legal standing to sue the state. He argued that Texas judges, court clerks, and other officials are not responsible for enforcing the law. He argued that because the Heartbeat Act is enforced by the individuals who file lawsuits, the state of Texas is not the appropriate defendant for these challenges.

The court is more likely to address the "right" to abortion more directly when Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization is heard next month. In that case, abortion businesses are challenging a Mississippi law banning abortion at 15 weeks gestation. Mississippi's Attorney General is framing the case as a direct challenge to the Supreme Court Precedent established in cases such as Roe v. Wade.

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District Court Issues Restraining Order Against Illinois Hospital Firing Employees over Vaccine Mandate

Last Friday, US District Judge John Kness issued a temporary restraining order against NorthShore University HealthSystem. The organization will be (at least temporarily) blocked from firing 14 employees who have been denied religious exemptions from a COVID shot mandate.

The employees have filed religious exemptions due to the connection that all currently available COVID-19 vaccines have with abortion. The vaccines were all developed and/or produced using a line of stem cells harvested from aborted babies.

NorthShore operates hospitals in Evanston, Highland Park, Glenview, Arlington Heights, Skokie, and Chicago.

The court set November 16 as the date for a preliminary injunction hearing. Liberty Counsel, who is serving as legal counsel for the 14 employees, says that it will file a brief with the court to provide legal relief for the entire class of healthcare workers.

During the fall veto session, the Illinois General Assembly passed an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act that would take away the conscience rights currently being exercised by the employees in this case. If that legislation becomes effective, it may become much more difficult for Illinoisans to defend their conscience rights as they relate to COVID-19 shot mandates.

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Catholic Nurse Wins Lawsuit Against Illinois County that Fired her for Refusing to Support Abortion

Sandra Rojas
photo credit: Alliance Defending Freedom

Catholic pediatric nurse Sandra Rojas, who was fired from the Winnebago County Health Department for refusing to refer women for abortions, won her wrongful termination suit against the county last Thursday.

The 17th Judicial Circuit Court ruled that it was unlawful for the Winnebago County Health Department to fire her in 2015. Judge Eugene Doherty wrote in his opinion that “The Court has concluded that the Health Department could have reasonably accommodated [Rojas’] objections without removing her from her job,” and therefore, “The Health Department improperly discriminated against Plaintiff by refusing to accommodate her objections of conscience…”

Rojas had worked as a pediatric nurse for the county for 18 years before 2015. During that year, a new policy was instituted which compelled nurses to refer women for abortions and help them obtain abortion pills. According to Rojas's Catholic beliefs, abortion is considered a sin, and she cannot cooperate with it.

“No American should be forced to refer for abortions or assist patients in accessing abortifacients – least of all medical workers who entered the profession to follow their faith and save lives, not take them,” stated Alliance Defending Freedom lead Noel counsel Sterett. “The court’s decision is a win for all health care professionals throughout Illinois. Healthcare professionals should not be required to violate their conscience to keep their jobs.”

The 17th Circuit used the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act as the basis for its decision. Democratic lawmakers recently voted to amend this law to prevent pro-lifers from using it to receive exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates. All currently available COVID vaccines were developed and/or produced with the use of STEM cell lines harvested from aborted babies. While the amendment would not affect a ruling like this, it shows a willingness by pro-abortion politicians to infringe upon the conscience rights of pro-life advocates. Pro-lifers need to watch out and work to prevent religious freedoms like the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act from eroding.

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March for Life Announces 2022 Theme: "Equality Begins in the Womb"

The March for Life organization announced last week that the 2022 March for Life theme will be "Equality Begins in the Womb."

March for Life issued a press release on October 27 to announce the new theme. The theme emphasizes the fact that human beings can face harsh discrimination before even being born. While in the womb, they aren't guaranteed the basic right to life. March for Life hopes to rally people to fight for that basic human right.

“From our nation’s birth, our founders recognized the dignity inherent to all people, making each one of us equal in our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” wrote Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. “Because of this, Americans have fought for centuries to advance equality for every person, regardless of race, sex, or disability status. It has taken centuries, but discrimination is now acknowledged as unacceptable just about everywhere in America. Everywhere, that is, except in the womb.”

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7th Circuit Denies Planned Parenthood Request to Rehear Complications Reporting Law

Last Thursday, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request by Planned Parenthood for the full court to rehear its challenge to an Indiana law requiring abortion businesses to report complications.

Planned Parenthood argued that the reporting law is "unconstitutionally vague," but the court disagreed. By refusing to rehear the case before the full court, the court upheld a decision it made in August, which overturned a permanent injunction blocking the reporting law's enforcement.

The Indiana law, which was passed in 2018, lists 25 types of complications that should be reported to the state if they occur. When the 7th Circuit originally upheld the statute in August, the opinion of the three-judge panel stated, “It is understandable by persons of ordinary intelligence and not subject to arbitrary enforcement.”

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Two Nations Join Pro-Life Declaration Abandoned by Biden

Last Thursday, political figures from across the globe met in Washington to commemorate the Geneva Consensus Declaration. During the past month, Russia and Guatemala joined the declaration, which asserts that there is no international right to abortion.

In 2020, the United States under President Trump was one of many nations that joined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which declared that unborn humans have the right to life. After becoming President, Joe Biden withdrew the US from that Geneva declaration almost immediately.

The Geneva Declaration pushed back against efforts by the United Nations to promote abortion as essential health care and a fundamental human right. In recent years, the UN has doubled down on efforts to impose a new sort of Western imperialism through its pro-abortion agenda. By requiring developing nations to accept abortion equipment or pills before they can receive other kinds of aid, the organization encroaches on the nations' abilities to determine their own policies on the issue of abortion.

“In no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning,” the declaration says, adding that “any measures or changes related to abortion within the health system can only be determined at the national or local level according to the national legislative process.”

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ERA-Supporters Push Biden Admin to Pretend the ERA is Law

New efforts by supporters of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) are pushing the Biden administration to treat the ERA as though it has been ratified into the Constitution, which it has not.

According to many pundits, the ERA could be interpreted to create a constitutional right to abortion. This would stand even if the reasoning behind Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The ERA expired in 1979 when three-fourths of the states did not ratify the amendment before the expiration date outlined in its language. Despite this, the states of Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia all voted to ratify the amendment after the deadline. Now, even though federal judges have ruled that the ERA's ratification deadline still applies, pro-ERA politicians are pressuring the Biden administration to enforce the ERA as though it is a part of the Constitution.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), the chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, sent letters to President Biden and the Archivist of the United States urging them to “to certify and publish ERA [as part of the Constitution] without further delay.”

“Congresswoman Maloney’s demands simply ignore the holdings of federal Judge Rudolph Contreras, appointed by President Obama, who in March 2021 ruled that the ERA ratification deadline was effective, that it would have been ‘absurd’ for the Archivist to ignore the deadline, and that the ERA-related legislative actions by Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia came too late to count,” said Douglas Johnson, director of the National Right to Life Committee's ERA Project.

Judge Contreras’ ruling is now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

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Bill Infringing on Conscience Rights Passes, TEXAS Act Does Not

In addition to passing legislation repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion Act last week, the Illinois General Assembly also passed SB 1169, which prevents Illinoisans from using the Health Care Right of Conscience Act to defend their religious exemption requests regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates. On the positive side, the TEXAS Act was not passed during the fall veto session.

SB 1169 would amend the Health Care Right of Conscience Act to specifically prevent Illinoisans from using it to receive exemptions related to COVID-19. This is problematic for pro-life Illinoisans who take issue with the fact that all currently available COVID-19 vaccines used a line of stem cells harvested from aborted babies in their development and/or production.

The TEXAS Act would have given individuals the ability to sue those who cause "unintended pregnancy" for $10,000. If they win the lawsuit, $5,000 would have been awarded to the person who filed the lawsuit, and $5,000 would have been added to a fund to transport women to Illinois from other states for abortions. At least for now, Illinoisans don't have to worry about the TEXAS Act being used to fund abortions.

JB Pritzker's signature is the only remaining requirement to repeal parental notice and pass SB1169.

Illinois General Assembly Repeals Parental Notice

On Wednesday, Oct. 27, the Illinois House of Representatives voted to approve the Senate's amendments to HB 370. As amended, the bill repeals the Parental Notice of Abortion Act.

The Parental Notice of Abortion Act requires that a parent or guardian be notified 48 hours before a minor girl has an abortion. This provides parents with the ability to speak with their daughters about the permanent decision of abortion. Simultaneously, it protects young girls from sex trafficking by preventing pimps from using abortion to hide their crimes from parents.

By voting to repeal Parental Notice, the Illinois General Assembly is making it more difficult for parents to be involved in the lives of their children. The repeal enables young girls to make the impulsive and destructive decision of abortion during a stressful situation. Parents will be uninformed of what is happening and will be unable to provide counsel to their daughters. Traffickers and rapists will be more empowered to commit their crimes without fear of parents filing police reports.

HB 370, if signed into law by Gov. Pritzker, will only create discord, crime, and death in the state of Illinois.

Illinois House of Representatives Votes to Remove Right of Conscience for COVID Vaccine Exemptions

New legislation passed by the Illinois House of Representatives would prevent Illinoisans from using the Right of Conscience Act to defend their religious beliefs from employer-enacted vaccine mandates. Please call your Senators and tell them to oppose SB1169.

All currently approved COVID-19 vaccines used lines of stem cells originally harvested from aborted babies in their development or production. Because of this, many Americans are using their strongly held beliefs regarding the sanctity of life to apply for exemptions from vaccine mandates. Illinois's Right of Conscience Act, in addition to religious protections offered by the Constitution, has helped many pro-life Illinoisans defend their religious beliefs to obtain exemptions. If SB1169 is passed into law, that will no longer be the case.

As described on the Illinois General Assembly website, SB1169 was originally introduced in February to amend an unrelated law. After the first and second readings occurred, Representatives began introducing amendments to SB1169 that completely changed the content of the bill. House Floor Amendment No. 3 creates a clause at the end of the Right of Conscience Act that specifically prevents Illinoisans from using it to protect themselves from vaccine mandates.

Amendment 3 reads that it is not a violation of the Right of Conscience Act "for any person or public official, or for any public or private association, agency, corporation, entity, institution, or employer" to enforce mandates "intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19 or any pathogens that result in COVID-19 or any of its subsequent iterations."

The bill as amended passed the House by a vote of 64-52, with two Representatives voting present.

SB1169 will return to the Senate for another vote. If passed, it will be sent to Gov. Pritzker for signature.

The Right of Conscience Act has also been used by pro-life pregnancy centers to protect them from being forced to refer women for abortions. If this exception to the Right of Conscience Act is allowed now, pro-abortion politicians could easily come back in the future to create another exception targeting these clinics.

Please call your Senators and tell them to oppose SB1169! To find your representatives and their contact information, go to the link below and enter your address:

https://elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/DistrictLocator/AddressFinder.aspx?T=637521112697456199

12 States File Lawsuit Against Biden Admin Over Taxpayer Abortion Funding

The Attorneys General from 12 states jointly filed a lawsuit against the Biden Administration on Oct. 25 to stop President Biden from expanding taxpayer funding of abortion.

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, asks a federal judge to block the Biden administration from once again allowing Title X "family planning funds" from being granted to abortion businesses.

Biden's administration recently announced that it is rescinding the "Protect Life Rule," which the Trump administration instituted in 2019. The rule required Title X grant recipients to physically and financially separate themselves from organizations that commit abortion or refer women for abortions. If an organization offers abortion or refers patients for abortions, then it was ineligible for Title X grants. Planned Parenthood opted out of the program as a result of Trump's rule. In doing so, they stepped away from tens of millions of dollars annually.

Additionally, Biden's new rule requires Title X grant recipients to refer women for abortions.

According to the 12 Attorneys General filing this lawsuit, the Biden administration did not follow the proper rule-making procedures when rescinding the rule.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost led the lawsuit, arguing that the Biden rule “unlawfully permits funds appropriated under Title X of the Public Health Service Act to be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning,”

The Attorneys General seek a preliminary injunction to block the new rule's implementation.

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Alert! Bill to Repeal PNA Passes Senate. Call Your Representatives!

All in one night, the Illinois Senate introduced and passed an amendment to an unrelated bill that would repeal the Parental Notice of Abortion Act (PNA). The bill will be sent back to the House of Representatives, where it could soon be passed into law. We need you to call your representatives and tell them to preserve the Parental Notice of Abortion Act.

On Tuesday, Oct. 26, Sen. Elgie Sims introduced Amendment 1 to HB370. This bill was designed to deal with a loophole related to the appointment of guardians, but Amendment 1 tacked on new language that would repeal PNA. All on the same night, the amendment went through the Senate Assignments Committee, the Senate Executive Committee, and the full Senate floor.

The Parental Notice of Abortion Act requires that a parent or guardian be notified 48 hours before a minor girl has an abortion. This provides parents with the ability to speak with their daughters about the permanent decision of abortion. Simultaneously, it protects young girls from sex trafficking by preventing pimps from using abortion to hide their crimes from parents.

The amendment passed the Executive Committee by a vote of 9-6, with one member voting present.

HB370 with the amendment included passed the full Senate by a vote of 32-22.

The normally slow wheels of government are moving unusually fast to force the repeal of PNA during the final three days of the fall veto session. Please call your representatives and tell them to vote against HB370 and the repeal of PNA.

To find your representatives and their contact information, go to the link below and enter your address:

https://elections.il.gov/ElectionOperations/DistrictLocator/AddressFinder.aspx?T=637521112697456199

Arizona Judge Refuses to Stay Injunction Against Discriminatory Abortion Ban

Federal Judge Douglas Rayes this week denied a request by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich to stay the injunction placed against a law prohibiting abortions decided purely because of a baby's genetic abnormality.

Brnovich argued that the law was designed to "send an unambiguous message that children with genetic abnormalities, whether born or unborn, are equal in dignity and value to their peers without genetic abnormalities, born or unborn." Brnovich continued, "While the law is enjoined, doctors can continue performing abortions knowing that the abortion is sought solely because of a genetic abnormality. This certainly constitutes irreparable harm."

Rayes, an appointee of Barack Obama, disagreed, saying that the state's “abstract injury is outweighed by the real-world harms a stay would visit upon the provider Plaintiffs and their patients.”

The death toll caused by abortion is not an "abstract injury." This is especially true for babies with genetic abnormalities such as down syndrome. Abortion kills, and these babies are disproportionately at risk of never experiencing life outside of the womb.

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Supreme Court Decides to Leave Texas Heartbeat Act in Place During Arguments

The US Supreme Court announced last Friday that it will leave Texas's Heartbeat Act in place while it decides on the law's constitutionality. It has fast-tracked this case to hear oral arguments starting on Nov. 1.

The Heartbeat Act first went into effect on Sept. 1, 2021. The law prohibits the abortion of unborn babies whose heartbeats are detectable. This happens at around six weeks gestation. So far, the law has managed to avoid being struck down by judges due to its unique method of enforcement. Rather than being enforced directly by the state of Texas, the law empowers individuals to file lawsuits against abortionists and others who participate in the abortion of protected babies. The mother of an aborted baby cannot be held liable under the Heartbeat Act.

The court's announcement allows the case to skip proceedings in appeals courts, and it will instead go directly to the US Supreme Court. The Biden administration requested that the court block the Texas Heartbeat Act's enforcement, but the court refused to do so in this instance.

Additionally, the court might not rule directly on the constitutionality of abortion restrictions. In a case brought by the Biden administration, the Supreme Court will consider whether the federal government has the right to sue the state of Texas to block the law's enforcement. In another case brought by the abortion businesses, the court will rule on the constitutionality of the law's enforcement mechanism (civil lawsuits by individuals rather than direct government enforcement).

This is the second time that the Supreme Court has declined to block the Texas Heartbeat Act's enforcement. The first time, the court did so on procedural grounds.

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