A group of Republican-led US states sued on Thursday to block a federal rule that gives workers who have had abortions the same legal protections as workers who are pregnant or have recently given birth.
The 17 states claim, in a complaint filed in federal court in Arkansas, that a rule by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) revealed last week violates the U.S. Constitution by interfering with the ability of states to regulate and prohibit abortion.
The commission's rule implemented a law that the US Congress passed in 2022 with bipartisan support and support from major business groups, requiring most employers to accommodate workers who are pregnant or have related health conditions.
The commission noted in the rule that these health conditions can include abortion and the use of contraceptive methods, along with miscarriage, lactation and others.
The states, led by Arkansas and Tennessee, said in the lawsuit that abortion is not a medical condition that Congress intended the law to cover.
They then pointed out that being forced to accept abortions from public employees would conflict with state laws that prohibit the use of public funds to perform abortions.
When questioned, the EEOC asked the report to contact the US Department of Justice, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Now, 14 U.S. states ban nearly all types of abortion, with only minor exceptions, while several others have severe restrictions, including bans after six weeks of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports the right to abortion. abortion.
The states' lawsuit also includes a new charge that the rule is invalid because the commission's structure violates the U.S. Constitution. They claim that the US president, who appoints the five EEOC members, should be able to remove them at will.
Businesses, conservative groups and Republican state officials have made similar arguments in cases involving other agencies, but Thursday's lawsuit appears to be the first to target the commission's structure.
Source: CNN Brasil
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