House Democrats introduce legislation to nullify Texas abortion pill ruling
Samantha-Jo Roth
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House Democrats plan to introduce legislation in response to last week’s federal court ruling in Texas on abortion pills, clarifying the Food and Drug Administration can make a final decision when it comes to approving the drugs used in a medical abortion.
A federal judge in Texas issued a ruling Friday, suspending the FDA’s two-decade-old approval of the medical abortion drug mifepristone. U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s decision is set to go into effect Friday, and the Biden administration has already appealed it.
TONY GONZALES WARNS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AGAINST IGNORING ABORTION PILL COURT RULING
Reps. Pat Ryan (D-NY) and Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) plan to introduce a bill that would emphasize the FDA will have the final say when it comes to medication abortion over any state law, according to reporting from Axios.
“The legislation will reaffirm the FDA’s approval authority and protect doctors who use telemedicine to prescribe medication abortion,” Ryan said in a statement.
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The legislation would largely be symbolic, as it faces an uphill road in the Republican-controlled House. The FDA approved mifepristone more than 20 years ago, and it is used with another drug, misoprostol, to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks. Over half of U.S. abortions are done medically, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.
While congressional Democrats quickly condemned the decision Friday, top Republicans have not commented. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Senate GOP Whip John Thune (R-SD) have remained silent on the ruling.