DOJ filed another appeal to halt the law banning abortion once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around six weeks. It amounts to the nation’s biggest curb to abortion in nearly 50 years.

The announcement came hours after a federal appeals court sided with Texas officials a second time and kept in place a previous order by that appeals court to suspend a lower court ruling that had blocked the law.

Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the federal government will now ask the Supreme Court to reverse that decision but did not say how quickly.

Some Texas judges opposed to applying the law, such as Robert Pitman, Austin, who put the law on hold, saying that he would not allow one more day ‘this offensive deprivation of such an important service.’

I will protect the right of every woman, under the Constitution, to obtain an abortion before the viability of the fetus, Pitman assured.

Depriving citizens of this right through direct state action would be blatantly illegal, he said.

The Texas abortion law, which is the nation’s biggest brake on abortion in nearly 50 years, took effect on September after a divided vote, five senators in favor and four against.

Since the law went into effect, Texas women, even 12-year-old girls, seek abortion clinics in neighboring states while driving for hours.

mh/pll/mgt/age