Pro-life groups blasted the Biden administration for falsely treating pregnancy like a disease after Axios broke the news on Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is weighing the possibility of declaring a public health emergency over abortion.

“Biden’s abortion obsessed administration wants to basically declare Martial Law to take control of our society with the same health care regulations used to control Americans during the height of the COVID crisis. This is an abuse of a process that was created to SAVE lives, not end them,” President of Students for Life Action Kristan Hawkins said in a statement to Breitbart News. 

“Even so, we saw how the regulations were abused, and used against Americans, when it really was a health issue being debated. But pregnancy is not a disease and it’s [sic] fake cure is not abortion,” Hawkins continued. “The best healthcare in the world should be used to see both mother and child safely cared for and loved. Violating people’s rights of conscience to push abortion in all 50 states using the thuggish tactics of Biden weaponized HHS and DOJ will be opposed with all our resources. We are already taking steps to address this.”

Axios’ Oriana Gonzalez spoke with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, who told the outlet during “reproductive health access” events on Monday that “[t]here are discussions on a wide range of measures … that we can take to try to protect people’s rights.”

“There are certain criteria that you look for to be able to declare a public health emergency. That’s typically done by scientists and those that are professionals in those fields who will tell us whether we are in a state of emergency and based on that, I have the ability to make a declaration,” Becerra continued. He noted there has not been a “full assessment” of what a public health emergency declaration would like like but said there is “an evaluation” on the topic.

An HHS spokesperson also told the outlet that the agency is “constantly exploring additional actions” to “protect and expand” access to abortion, and is “prioritizing the actions that can give us the highest impact and most durable solutions.” 

The comments came after both pro-abortion groups and Democrat lawmakers asked the HHS to declare an emergency in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and send the issue of abortion back to individual states. Lawmakers contended that declaring an emergency would allow the Biden administration to support pro-abortion states, send out Public Health Services Corps teams, and give the government “the ability to accelerate access to new medications authorized for abortions.” 

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said that “Democrats’ pro-abortion extremism knows no bounds.”

“They think allowing more Americans to be born is a crisis, and the only solution is ending those lives through abortion for any reason up until birth. Their latest scheme would result in taxpayer-funded abortion on demand across the country with no protections whatsoever for unborn children or their mothers – including dangerous mail-order abortion drugs that put women at risk of serious complications,” Dannenfelser said.

“If Democrats were truly concerned about women facing difficult circumstances, they would support the pregnancy centers which serve them and outnumber Planned Parenthood 14 to one nationwide. They would be in good company too, since 91 percent of Americans support this compassionate pro-life safety net,” she continued. 

40 Days for Life’s CEO and President Shawn Carney told Breitbart News the Biden administration is “angry that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and they are taking that out on pro-life Americans.” 

“Unfortunately, our massive defeat of the DOJ and the FBI’s abuse of power yesterday in federal court in Philadelphia will not stop the bigotry this administration has for Americans with a pro-life opinion,” Carney continued, referring to the Biden administration’s failed attempt to imprison Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck.

“To say we are in an abortion emergency crisis is absurd, and no politician would’ve suggested that a year ago,” he continued.

In a phone call with Breitbart News on Tuesday, National Right to Life President Carol Tobias accused the Biden administration of “trying to kill as many babies as possible — as soon as possible.” 

“The pro-life movement is stepping up with programs to help moms and babies, and all the Biden administration wants to do is end the lives of those babies. That’s not choice. That’s not an option for mothers,” Tobias continued. 

She said the Biden administration would make such a move because it “will do absolutely anything and everything it can to undermine the pro-life laws that have been enacted.” 

“The Supreme Court said the decision goes back to the people and the elected representatives, and the Biden administration does not want that. They want 50 states that allow abortion for all nine months of pregnancy, for any reason, and they would prefer tax dollars to pay for it. This is definitely an effort to undercut those laws that are on the books, protecting children and their moms,” she said.