The doctor who said he performed an abortion in violation of the new state law was sued Monday by two non-Texas residents.

This is thought to be the first legal action taken since the State's law took effect this month.

A Texas pro-life group has criticized the lawsuits calling them "imprudent" and "self-serving."

The doctor at the centre of the lawsuit is Alan Braid. He announced on The Washington Post opinion page that he had violated the new Texas heartbeat abortion law by performing an abortion on a woman whose unborn baby had a heartbeat.

He said he did so because of "a duty of care to this patient...and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care."

The Center for Reproductive Rights is reportedly representing Braid.

Texas' law, which is designed to be enforced through private lawsuits, prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, except in medical emergencies.

The law took effect on 1 September. It allows for at least $10,000 in damages in successful lawsuits.

These can be filed against anyone who "aids and abets" an illegal abortion; women seeking abortions cannot be sued under the law.

Despite the law's intentions, neither of the two men filing lawsuits against Braid appear to have done so because of anti-abortion convictions.

One was brought by an Arkansas man and self-described "disbarred and disgraced" lawyer currently serving a 15-year house arrest sentence for tax evasion. He says he filed the lawsuit in an attempt both to "vindicate" the Texas law and to collect up to $10,000 if he wins the suit.

The second lawsuit was filed by a complainant describing himself as "pro-choice" who thinks the Texas law is "illegal." He said if he is awarded money, he would likely donate it to an "abortion rights group" or to the patients of the doctor he sued.

Texas Right to Life criticized the two lawsuits as "self-serving legal stunts" that don't make "valid attempts to save innocent human lives".

Braid claimed the law had "shut down about 80 percent of the abortion services we provide."

"I fully understood that there could be legal consequences — but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn't get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested," he wrote.

Catholic bishops around the country reacted with praise to the law, and noted that women experiencing a crisis pregnancy have resources available, instead of abortion.

Texas bishops say opponents of the law, who have described a fetal heartbeat as "electrically induced flickering of embryonic tissue" or "embryonic cardiac activity," are making a "disturbing" effort to "dehumanize the unborn."

"Abortion is a human rights issue; the most fundamental human right is the right to life," the bishops say.

"Abortion is not healthcare. Abortion is not freedom. Abortion does not help women. Abortion is never the answer. It is always the violent taking of innocent human life."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image:Texas Values

As a result of this move, Biden's stance on the beginning of life is being questioned.

Recently President Biden is reported to have said that he does not believe life begins at conception.

This contradicts previous statements on when life begins.

Biden answered a reporter's question on abortion on Friday. "I respect those who believe life begins at the moment of conception," Biden said. "I don't agree, but I respect that. I'm not going to impose that on people."

The response is contrary to what he has stated in the past.

In a 2012 vice presidential debate, Biden stated that he believed life began at conception.

"Life begins at conception. That's the Church's judgment. I accept it in my personal life," he said. "But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews. I just refuse to impose that on others."

Biden said at the time that he does "not believe that we have a right to tell other people that, women can't control their body. It's a decision between them and their doctor, in my view, and the Supreme Court. I'm not going to interfere with that."

Focus on his comments came as the "Texas Heartbeat Act" became effective on Sep 1.

The Texas Heartbeat Act prohibits abortions in the state after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. It can be enforced by private lawsuits. The law went into effect after the Supreme Court did not act on a petition to block it.

The Supreme Court majority ruled that the petitioners in the Texas case - the abortion providers requesting the "heartbeat" law be blocked - had not made a sufficient case for relief.

Biden denounced the decision as "an unprecedented assault on a woman's constitutional rights" to abortion.

Biden said he was directing his White House Gender Policy Council, as well as the White House counsel, "to launch a whole-of-government effort to respond to this decision".

The groups will review "what legal tools we have to insulate women and providers from the impact of Texas' bizarre scheme of outsourced enforcement to private parties."

The pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List praised the court decision.

"The Supreme Court's ruling allows Texas to protect unborn babies with beating hearts while litigation continues," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List.

"The Texas legislature, acting on the will of the people, debated and passed this law with the very simple goal of protecting unborn children with beating hearts from death in the womb. This is how democracy works."

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Catholic News Agency