Last year, Congress passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), a bipartisan bill that expanded protections for pregnant mothers in the workplace. The legislation, which was supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, required that employers provide “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant workers. It was signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2023, signifying significant bipartisan action to support pregnant mothers.
Unfortunately, the Biden administration is using the PWFA to expand abortion protection by interpreting the legislation to cover abortions. In the rules proposed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), abortion is included among the medical conditions for which employers may have to make accommodations. If the proposed rules are adopted, employers across the United States would be forced to provide reasonable accommodation for an employee to get an abortion.
Furthermore, the rules contain no meaningful religious exemption, meaning that the First-Amendment rights of employers are at risk. Faith-based organizations would be compelled to facilitate abortions in contradiction of their well-founded beliefs.
In response, the Colorado Catholic Conference has issued an action alert to submit comments to the EEOC. Under law, the EEOC must accept comments on their proposed rules. It is critical that anyone who opposes the federal government compelling organizations and businesses to facilitate abortions submit comment, urging the EEOC to remove abortion as an accepted medical condition.