The Biden administration’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has recently raised eyebrows with its proposed rule, which appears to redefine federal pregnancy nondiscrimination protections. According to a letter dated October 10 addressed to EEOC chair Charlotte Burrows, U.S. Representatives Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Mary Miller (R-IL) have expressed their concerns and are calling for changes before finalizing the rule.

This proposed rule is related to the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), a legislation designed to ensure that employers make “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant employees. However, the controversy arises from the inclusion of language in the rule that defines “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions” as encompassing “having or choosing not to have an abortion.”

It’s important to note that the PWFA, as laid out in the letter, does not include abortion in its text. In fact, the lawmakers who enacted it emphasized that it did not impose any requirement to facilitate, assist, or accommodate a decision to abort. In 2022, Catholic Vote warned that if passed, the PWFA could lead to pro-life groups being “sued if they don’t provide their employees special leave to get abortions.” This interpretation is in stark contrast to pro-life and Catholic views, which have typically not been aligned with the EEOC’s stance on protecting workers’ “right” to abortion.

However, what’s even more concerning is the fact that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) supported the PWFA legislation, and the EEOC mentioned this support while introducing the proposed pro-abortion regulations. This partnership between the USCCB and Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, is raising red flags for many conservative parents.

The letter from Reps. Foxx and Miller further highlights the rule’s inclusion of “related medical conditions,” which encompasses “use of birth control, menstruation, infertility and fertility treatments, [and] endometriosis,” among other treatments and conditions. This interpretation stretches the rule’s reach beyond its intended purpose. Congress initially intended the PWFA to address everyday workplace needs of pregnant workers, such as access to water, additional bathroom breaks, or provision of a stool or chair.

The legislators also point out that the PWFA’s text includes provisions for religious liberty protections, granting exemptions for “religious corporations, associations, educational institutions, or societies” with respect to employment. This means that religious organizations should have the right to make employment decisions in alignment with their faith.

Representative Foxx firmly stated, “Nowhere in the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act are there provisions that allow abortions and abortion services to be put in the express lane. The EEOC better stay in its own lane, respect congressional intent, and issue a final rule that’s in direct alignment with statutory text.”

Representative Miller, who is a mother of seven and a grandmother of 20, declared, “The Biden administration is committed to betraying the sanctity of life by pushing policies that undermine the rights of the unborn. I will continue to fight against the Biden administration and the radical abortion industry to protect vulnerable children from the pro-abortion agenda from the Left.”

This situation highlights the ongoing efforts of the federal executive branch under President Joe Biden to make abortion as accessible as possible in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This decision has allowed individual states to enact abortion restrictions, resulting in 15 states banning all or most abortions, with other pro-life laws taking effect across the nation. Available data suggests that these laws could significantly reduce the number of abortions performed each year.

In response, abortion advocates are employing various tactics to preserve access to abortion, including facilitating easy access to abortion pills, providing legal protection and financial support for interstate abortion travel, and attempting to secure “rights” to abortion in state constitutions. They are also constructing new abortion facilities near the borders of pro-life and pro-abortion states, making liberal states sanctuaries for those seeking to evade or violate the laws of pro-life states.

President Biden has made it clear that his administration is committed to protecting reproductive rights and has called on Congress to codify a “right” to abortion in federal law. The 2024 elections will play a pivotal role in determining the future of abortion rights and whether Democrats can maintain the White House and gain enough seats in Congress to make it a reality.