White House slams Indiana's restrictive abortion law

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Indiana's latest legislation on abortion "institutes a near-total abortion ban" in the state, said the White House on Saturday, calling it a "devastating step."

Indiana became the first state to pass a restrictive law against abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this summer and eliminated women's right to abortion.

Under the law passed on Friday and due to take effect on Sept. 15, abortions in Indiana will be allowed only before ten weeks post-fertilization in cases of rape or incest, to save the mother's life, and if a fetus has a lethal anomaly.

Without Roe v. Wade, states are allowed to impose their own legislation on the medical procedure.

"Congress should also act immediately to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.