WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The medication mifepristone, used in over 60% of all abortions in 2023, may become more difficult to obtain going forward.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine about whether the Food and Drug Administration had followed federal law when they loosened restrictions on the drug in 2016 and 2021.
“We must hold FDA accountable for endangering the lives of women and girls across the United States,” Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mo.) said at a press conference Thursday.
“The FDA’s disregard for federal law and patient safeguards is appalling, and it’s unacceptable,” Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) added.
The FDA made extensive arguments in their reply brief that the abortion opponents lack the legal standing to bring the case and cite studies about the safety of the changes used when loosening restrictions.
If the court were to agree with FDA, it would preserve access for mifepristone without touching on the more politically sensitive issues in the dispute.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.