Planned Parenthood Responds to DOJ Filing Suit In District Court Against Texas’s S.B. 8

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that they have filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Austin challenging Texas’s S.B. 8 six week abortion ban and seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction blocking the law’s enforcement by the State of Texas as well as private individuals it has effectively deputized to enforce the law. The unconstitutional law took effect September 1st. Since then, the Biden-Harris administration tasked the Gender Policy Council, US Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Justice to coordinate a government-wide response on how the administration can push back against the Texas law.

Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

This is a needed announcement. Thank you, President Biden and the Department of Justice, for bringing the full might of the federal government to protect Texans from this dangerous and unjust law.

“Right now patients across Texas are scared, they are confused, and they are being left with nowhere to turn to access safe, legal abortion. Texans deserve the freedom and power to control their own bodies, their own decisions, and their own lives. Planned Parenthood will never abandon our patients, and we will do everything in our power to restore and protect access to abortion across Texas and the rest of the country. We hope this important next step by the Biden administration will help restore Texans’ access to the health care they need.

Statement from Helene Krasnoff, vice president, Public Policy Litigation & Law, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

We welcome the announcement that the Department of Justice is preparing to sue Texas over this unjust and dangerous law. Texas’s S.B. 8 is blatantly unconstitutional. It flies in the face of 50 years of precedent and has made abortion virtually inaccessible in the state of Texas. We are heartened to see the Biden administration stepping in to take action to vindicate Texans’ rights.

Last week, the Gender Policy Council co-chairs and other White House senior staff convened a meeting of reproductive health leaders, including Alexis McGill Johnson, to discuss the impact of the Supreme Court ruling and S.B. 8. Today, vice president Harris is meeting with abortion providers and patients from Texas, alongside other people impacted by S.B. 8.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.