White House officials are actively debating whether to formally declare abortion access a public health emergency, pitting the belief of many Biden advisers that such a move would be counterproductive against the overwhelming political pressure to show they are fighting hard for abortion rights.

Several top Biden aides have expressed internal reservations about declaring an emergency, saying it would give the administration little money and few new powers, according to a White House official and two people familiar with the conversations. And outside legal experts advising the administration have warned that an emergency declaration would face inevitable legal challenges, potentially giving conservative judges an opportunity to cut back on the administration’s emergency authority.

Chief of staff Ron Klain and senior adviser Anita Dunn are among those who do not see a compelling argument for the move, but Klain has told others he would be open to it if he can be persuaded it would allow the administration to do more, according to the three people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.