"Texas Federal Judge Declares 2022 Congressional Spending Bill Unconstitutional"

A federal judge in Texas ruled that the 2022 government funding bill was unconstitutionally passed through a pandemic-era proxy voting rule, granting a request to block a provision giving pregnant workers stronger legal protections. The judge's ruling, limited in scope, blocked the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act from being enforced against the state, citing the proxy voting rule's violation of the Constitution's quorum clause. The Justice Department defended the bill, and while the state lacked standing to challenge certain appropriations, the judge's decision did not block all of the spending law.