Justice Department sues Idaho over near-total abortion ban
![Merrick Garland.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Mz4Z5wNrThcC5pJRKr4xkS-415-80.jpg)
The Department of Justice on Tuesday sued Idaho over its impending, near-total abortion ban, marking the Biden administration's first such abortion-related suit since the Supreme Court in June voted to overturn 1973's Roe v. Wade.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the lawsuit is intended to stop the state's trigger ban, which is scheduled to take effect on Aug. 25 and bans all abortions except when needed to save a pregnant person's life, The Washington Post and Axios report. But the law also allows the criminal prosecution of doctors who perform abortions, which Garland argued could violate federal law "that says patients seeking emergency medical treatment at a hospital accepting Medicare funds are entitled to any lifesaving treatment," the Post summarizes. And in some instances — like an ectopic pregnancy, perhaps — that lifesaving treatment might be an abortion, NBC News notes.
"We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that every pregnant woman gets the emergency medical treatment of which they are entitled to under federal law," the attorney general said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The law places medical professionals in an impossible situation," added Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, per the Post. "They must either withhold stabilizing treatment ... or risk felony prosecution and license revocation. In so doing, the law will chill providers' willingness to perform abortions in emergency situations."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Why is China stockpiling resources?
The Explainer The superpower has been amassing huge reserves of commodities at great cost despite its economic downturn
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Paraguay's dangerous dalliance with cryptocurrency
Under The Radar Overheating Paraguayans are pushing back over power outages caused by illegal miners
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Week contest: Tattoo prediction
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Menendez convicted of bribery, fraud, and extortion
Speed Read The New Jersey Democratic Senator was found guilty in a federal corruption trial
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Florida judge dismisses Trump documents case
Speed Read Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that special counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Hamas says military chief survived Israeli strike
Speed Read An Israeli bombing failed to hit its intended target, military commander Mohammed Deif, but killed at least 90 Palestinians
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
First Israeli report on Oct. 7 finds 'severe mistakes and errors' in IDF response
Speed Reads Israeli military admits failures in response to deadly Hamas attack that triggered Gaza war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden saw neurologist during physicals
Speed Read Following his bad debate performance, many are asking questions about the president's brain
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Russia bombs Kyiv children's hospital
Speed Reads The daytime barrage interrupted heart surgeries and killed at least 40 people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published