Attorneys general in 15 Republican states are calling on Congress to ban abortion shield laws in states where abortion is legal.
The laws protect abortion providers from those states from facing legal action if they violate other states' anti-abortion laws, leading the GOP officials to argue that the legislation interferes with other states' ability to enforce criminal statutes, reports The Hill on Wednesday.
In their letter, the attorneys general argued that such laws conflict with the "full faith and credit clause" in the U.S. Constitution, as well as its extradition clause.
"Congress should consider stepping in to remedy this problem," the letter said. "Instead of allowing pro-abortion States to disrespect the decisions of other States regarding abortion and trample the Constitution, Congress should assess whether it should tackle this issue head-on with legislation that preempts state shield laws."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, both of whom took legal action against New York Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who they accused of sending abortion pills to women in their states.
Abortion is almost fully banned in Texas and Louisiana, with the exceptions of procedures needed to save the life of the woman or to prevent the "permanent impairment" of a life-sustaining organ.
Paxton sued Carpenter in December for allegedly sending abortion pills to a 20-year-old Texas woman in 2024. A judge ordered that the doctor pay more than $100,000 for violating the state's law, but she and her attorney did not come to court or respond to the lawsuit.
In Louisiana, a grand jury indicted the doctor for allegedly mailing abortion pills through telehealth into the state after lawmakers passed legislation ruling that the drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, are controlled substances.
Murrill said her office launched an investigation into Carpenter after a woman obtained the medication and then needed to visit a hospital after using it.
Texas and Louisiana have been prevented from fining or extraditing Carpenter because of New York's abortion shield law.
Paxton has also tried to push a New York county clerk to enforce the Texas civil judgment, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has taken legal action against the clerk.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.