Acting attorney general signals push to entrench abortion ban nationwide

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche told faith leaders during a closed White House call last week that he intends to make the Dobbs v. Jackson decision "permanent in every single state," according to a Politico report. Blanche reportedly spoke to members of Intercessors for America at the White House Faith Office, saying it was taking "longer than we want" to roll back reproductive-care protections established under the Biden administration.

Blanche said he has been directed to work with federal health agencies and the White House to find "permanent solutions" on the issue. He also said he plans to target mail-order abortion pills, saying he wants to put policies in place so other states and organizations cannot help residents of states with abortion bans obtain the drugs by mail.

A Justice Department spokesperson told The Hill that Blanche's comments were mischaracterized, saying they applied specifically to mail-order abortion drugs rather than a broader expansion of federal authority over states. The Trump administration has not taken formal federal action to undo Biden-era abortion regulations. More than a dozen states have criminalized abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights, while there remains no federal constitutional ban on the procedure.

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