Congressman Cohen Applauds Justice Department Lawsuit to Block Texas Law SB 8 Restricting Abortion

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, today applauded Attorney General Merrick Garland's decision for the Department of Justice to challenge the constitutionality of Texas' recently enacted SB 8 limiting access to abortion in ways that clearly violate decades of Supreme Court precedent.

Chairman Cohen made the following statement:

"General Garland's decision, in coordination with Deputy Attorney General Monaco and Associate Attorney General Gutpa, to challenge this clear violation of Supreme Court precedent on women's constitutional rights, is a welcome and necessary response to an outrageous legislative overreach."

Chairman Cohen joined his Judiciary Committee colleagues in a letter to General Garland on Tuesday urging him to take the action he took today.

Chairman Cohen presided at a hearing in June 2019 on state efforts to limit the constitutional rights upheld in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and has been an outspoken advocate for women's reproductive rights.

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