Unborn babies in Texas will continue to be saved from abortion for now, despite the Biden administration’s efforts to stop the life-saving new heartbeat law.
On Wednesday, a federal judge scheduled a hearing for Oct. 1 to consider the U.S. Department of Justice’s emergency request to block the Texas law, The Epoch Times reports.
The two week delay is unusual because the Biden administration asked for a hearing immediately, but it means unborn babies and mothers will continue to be saved from the pain and death of abortion.
The Texas heartbeat law went into effect Sept. 1, prohibiting abortions once an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy. Unique from other state heartbeat laws, the Texas law includes a private enforcement mechanism that allows people to file lawsuits against abortionists who violate the law and those who help them.
Pro-life leaders in the state estimate as many as 100 babies are being saved from abortion every day while the law is in effect.
Follow LifeNews on the MeWe social media network for the latest pro-life news free from Facebook’s censorship!
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Supreme Court refused Planned Parenthood’s and other pro-abortion groups’ request to temporarily block the law. However, the court battle is not over.
Late Tuesday, the Biden administration’s Department of Justice interfered in the matter, submitting an emergency request to block the law. A day later, 24 Democrat state attorneys general filed an amicus brief in support of the request.
“This relief is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of women in Texas and the sovereign interest of the United States in ensuring that its States respect the terms of the national compact. It is also necessary to protect federal agencies, employees, and contractors whose lawful actions S.B. 8 [the heartbeat law] purports to prohibit,” the Department of Justice argued.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, an appointee of pro-abortion President Barack Obama, is assigned to the case. On Wednesday, he scheduled the requested hearing for Oct. 1, instructing Texas officials to file their response by the morning of Sept. 29 and the Biden administration to provide a reply before the hearing.
According to the Epoch Times, Pitman scheduled the hearing nearly two weeks later than what the Biden administration wanted. As a result, the law will remain in effect for now, continuing to save babies from abortion.
CNN pointed out that even if Pitman does grant the federal government’s request for a preliminary injunction, some abortion facilities may not start aborting unborn babies again right away.
According to the report: “… under the law, a clinic could still be liable if it performed an abortion prohibited by the law while the court’s order was in effect, if that same order was later reversed by a higher court.”
Here’s more from CNN:
“Judge Pitman seems to be going by the book here,” said Steve Vladeck, CNN legal analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law.
“The Court of Appeals already cut off his effort to hold a similar hearing in the challenge to SB8 brought by Texas abortion providers,” Vladeck said. “By not issuing a temporary restraining order here, he’s effectively preventing Texas from asking the Court of Appeals to also block this hearing before it happens.”
In 2020, about 54,000 unborn babies were aborted in Texas, and about 85 percent happened after six weeks of pregnancy, according to state health statistics.
The law already is saving lives. While abortion activists say some women are traveling to other states for abortions, they admit that others are having their babies instead.
Meanwhile, pro-life advocates are reaching out to pregnant women across Texas with compassion and understanding, offering resources and emotional support to help them and their babies. Earlier this year, state lawmakers increased support for pregnant and parenting mothers and babies, ensuring that they have resources to choose life for their babies.
About a dozen states have passed heartbeat laws to protect unborn babies from abortion, but Texas is the first to be allowed to enforce its law. Whether the law will remain in effect or ultimately be upheld as constitutional in court remains uncertain, but pro-life leaders are hopeful now that the Supreme Court has a conservative majority.
