Join +750K new investors every month who copy stock picks from billionaire's portfoliosSign Up Free

Democrats, Biden campaign condemn blocking of emergency abortion for Texas woman

Published 12/09/2023, 04:44 PM
Updated 12/09/2023, 04:45 PM
© Reuters. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) faces reporters during a break in a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum for all U.S. senators at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson/File photo

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Democratic leaders and advocacy groups on Saturday condemned the Texas Supreme Court's decision to temporarily block a pregnant woman from obtaining an emergency abortion.

The Texas court on Friday halted a lower court ruling that had allowed the emergency abortion for Kate Cox, 31, of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The state's Supreme Court was responding to a petition from Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had requested the block.

"While our client Kate is enduring an active medical crisis, the State of Texas is using her health care as a political football. Texas's actions are intolerable," the Center for Reproductive Rights said on Saturday.

The legal battle is a major test case since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the nationwide constitutional right to abortion last year, enabling states like Texas to pass near complete bans.

The top Democrat in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, said on Saturday, "MAGA Republicans in Texas and throughout the country are risking the lives of mothers," using an acronym for Republican former President Donald Trump's slogan "make America great again."

Cox sought court authorization for the abortion because her fetus was diagnosed on Nov. 27 with trisomy 18, a genetic abnormality that usually results in miscarriage, stillbirth or death soon after birth.

Cox, who is about 20 weeks pregnant, said in her lawsuit that she would need to undergo her third caesarean section if she continues the pregnancy. That could jeopardize her ability to have more children, which she and her husband want.

Paxton has warned that any doctors involved in providing the emergency abortion would not be safe from prosecution. Texas' abortion ban includes only a narrow exception to save the mother's life or prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function.

Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign called Cox's story "horrifying" and "heartbreaking."

"A Texas woman was just forced to beg for life-saving health care in court, and now any doctor who provides her the care she urgently needs is being threatened with punishment," said the campaign's co-chair and Texas Representative Veronica Escobar. "This story is shocking, it's horrifying, and it's heartbreaking."

© Reuters. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) faces reporters during a break in a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum for all U.S. senators at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson/File photo

Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren described Cox's situation as "cruel."

Warren and the Biden campaign said Cox's position was the direct consequence of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 reversal of the nationwide constitutional right to abortion, for which they blamed Trump due to his nomination of justices to the top court when he held office.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.