**U.S. Supreme Court declines to block Texas abortion law**
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined to block a Texas law that bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, a major victory for anti-abortion activists.
The court’s 5-4 vote along ideological lines was a setback for abortion-rights advocates, who had asked the justices to put the law on hold while they challenge it in lower courts.
The law, which took effect Sept. 1, prohibits abortions once cardiac activity is detected in an embryo, which can occur as early as six weeks into a pregnancy and often before a woman knows she is pregnant.
The court’s conservative majority said the abortion providers who challenged the law did not have standing to do so because they had not shown how they would be directly harmed by it.
“The applicants now before us have failed to satisfy this требование,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court.
The court did not rule on the constitutionality of the law, which abortion-rights advocates have said violates the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.
The Texas law is the most restrictive abortion law in the United States since Roe v. Wade, and abortion-rights advocates fear it could become a model for other states seeking to restrict abortion access.
The law has been in effect for more than a month, and abortion providers in Texas have said they have stopped performing abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy because they fear being sued under the law.
The Supreme Court’s decision to let the law remain in effect for now is a major blow to abortion-rights advocates, who had hoped the court would block the law while it is being challenged in lower courts.
The decision is also a major victory for anti-abortion activists, who have been pushing for stricter abortion laws in states across the country.
The Supreme Court’s decision is likely to further divide the country on the issue of abortion, and it could lead to more legal challenges to Roe v. Wade.
**Reactions**
Anti-abortion activists hailed the Supreme Court’s decision as a victory for the unborn.
“This is a historic day for the pro-life movement,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List.
Abortion-rights advocates, however, condemned the decision as a setback for women’s rights.
“This is a devastating blow to abortion access in Texas,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights.
The decision is likely to have a significant impact on the abortion debate in the United States. It could lead to more legal challenges to Roe v. Wade and could further divide the country on the issue of abortion..
