By: Molly Hennessy-Fiske

“It’s really a question of when are you paying for this care: preventive or after she gives birth and ends up in the emergency department? From our point of view, this is a wise investment, both financially and morally,” Seago said.

Texas Alliance for Life, the state’s other large antiabortion group, had not taken a position on postpartum Medicaid expansion, but its board was still considering the measure, said spokeswoman Amy O’Donnell.

By: REENA DIAMANTE

“It’s egregious to me that the Biden-Harris administration would use women as political pawns in their game when it comes to protecting life,” said Amy O’Donnell, a communications director at Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion lobbying group. “There’s simply no reason conceivable outside of politics that they turn this down in Texas.”

Lawmakers say they suspect the denial resulted from the language in the legislation that says coverage continues from “the date the woman delivers or experiences an involuntary miscarriage.” They say that could be interpreted as excluding those who had abortions from any expansion of Medicaid.