Justice Department Pressed to Counter Texas Abortion Law

The Justice Department is facing mounting pressure to counter the Texas anti-abortion law that has infuriated Democrats and put President Joe Biden on the defensive, but there appears to be little the agency can do.

Attorney General Merrick Garland should “use the full power of the Department of Justice to defend a woman’s constitutional right to choose an abortion,” more than 20 Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee wrote in a letter on Tuesday.

The law, known as Texas Senate Bill 8, bans abortions after six weeks and deputizes citizens to sue people who perform or aid in the procedure, ...