Harris County attorney signed amicus brief siding with US v. Idaho case over abortion ban
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - In the United States v. Idaho case over a near-total abortion ban, a Harris County attorney has signed on to an amicus brief, siding with the U.S.
Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee filed the legal brief supporting emergency abortion access with the United States Justice Department in their case against Idaho which is pending before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
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According to records, the lawsuit challenges Idaho's state law which imposes a near-total ban on abortion, and according to Menefee, conflicts with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, a federal law requiring hospitals receiving Medicare funding to provide emergency treatment.
A sign taped to a hanger hangs near the Idaho Capitol in Boise after protests against the stateâs new abortion laws, which effectively banned the procedure. (Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
"Extreme abortion restrictions across the country have forced women to wait until they are near death to get healthcare. Idaho has made it a felony to perform abortions in nearly all circumstances, clearly violating federal law," said Menefee. "Pregnant women should be able to receive the emergency medical treatment they are entitled to under federal law, no matter what state they live in. Harris County has a vested interest in protecting public health for all people, and delaying critical medical care could have dire complications."
EMTLA was previously reaffirmed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services saying the law requires providers to offer necessary care, such as abortion care in certain situations, for patients suffering from emergency medical conditions.