Seventeen states led by Republicans are taking legal action against President Joe Biden’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for requiring employers to accommodate workers’ abortions. The lawsuit was filed following the EEOC’s decision to add abortion to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which was originally intended to provide workplace accommodations for pregnant and postpartum mothers, not for abortions.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin criticized the Biden administration for attempting to push through regulations that were not approved by Congress. The lawsuit argues that including abortion in the PWFA goes against the legislation’s original intent and could force businesses to facilitate abortions even in states where they are illegal.
The EEOC maintains that the rule does not require or fund abortions but allows for accommodations such as time off for medical appointments or recovery. Despite this clarification, the attorneys general claim that the rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act and infringes on states’ rights, religious freedom, and separation of powers.
The lawsuit estimates that the rule could impact over 130 million employees and lists the seventeen states involved in the legal action. The case is known as Tennessee et. al v. EEOC and is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
