Attorneys General Liz Murrill of Louisiana and Lynn Fitch of Mississippi have initiated legal action against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The lawsuit contests the EEOC's interpretation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which they argue is being used to support a national abortion policy favored by the Biden administration.
The Attorneys General assert that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was intended to address gaps between existing laws like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Family and Medical Leave Act. These laws collectively aim to prevent workplace discrimination based on pregnancy and ensure accommodations for workers with disabilities or serious health conditions.
Attorney General Liz Murrill stated, "The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was originally a bipartisan law passed by Congress to support mothers. This new action by the EEOC is another example of bureaucrats rewriting acts of Congress to their own liking, and it’s unconstitutional. We will continue to challenge this administration’s overreach and protect pregnant women."
Echoing this sentiment, Attorney General Lynn Fitch commented, "The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was a bipartisan effort to help women in the workplace while they are pregnant and following childbirth. But the Biden Administration is threatening to derail commonsense measures...by reading into the law required accommodations for elective abortion." She added that such actions threaten state rights established by the Dobbs decision.
Support for the new law came from various organizations, including pro-life groups like the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. They emphasized that no woman should feel forced to choose between her future and her child's life while respecting employers' conscience rights.
Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania had previously rejected any EEOC regulation mandating abortion leave under this act during legislative debates.
The complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.