The Supreme Court of the United States ruled today to keep loose restrictions in place on the abortion pill mifepristone. Justices unanimously decided that the Pro-Life doctors and organizations behind the case did not have standing to sue the FDA for its approval and subsequent regulations on the deadly drug.
Federal and state abortion policies will not change with this ruling, and the status quo remains the same.
In Texas, preborn children are protected from elective abortion from the moment of fertilization. Even a favorable outcome today at the Supreme Court would not have stopped the biggest problem regarding abortion pills: criminal actors. Foreign organizations are illegally mailing abortion pills from overseas to pregnant women’s homes and dorm rooms, flouting state laws and even federal regulations. The Pro-Life movement must focus on stopping this deadly new trend.
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The legal challenge was brought by national medical associations, doctors, and the Alliance Defending Freedom. They asserted that the FDA ignored safety concerns when it eased restrictions on mifepristone under Democratic presidents. The FDA loosened safety protocols in 2016 and 2021, allowing the drug to be used later in pregnancy and mailed without an in-person visit.
Supreme Court justices did not address the merits of the Pro-Life argument but ruled that the plaintiffs did not prove they were the right parties to bring the case to court. Even Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his concurring opinion, “just as abortionists lack standing to assert the rights of their clients, doctors who oppose abortion cannot vicariously assert the rights of their patients.”
Texas Right to Life President Dr. John Seago responded:
“Unfortunately, with this ruling, the Supreme Court has condoned the FDA’s overstep of its regulatory authority, to the detriment and danger of pregnant women and preborn children. However, even a total Pro-Life victory in this case would not stop foreign doctors who are mailing abortion pills from other countries directly to women in Texas and other states. Christians must target this deadly lawlessness before it becomes the status quo.”
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Abortion pills are the most common method by which abortions are performed in the United States. One in five women will suffer a complication due to taking an abortion pill, and one in 20 will have to visit the emergency room. Worse, every successful abortion will result in the death of an innocent baby.
Chemical abortions involve two drugs: the first, mifepristone, kills the preborn child by starving him or her to death, and the second, misoprostol, causes the woman to deliver the deceased baby.
Mifepristone can be used to abort a child up to 10 weeks. At this point in pregnancy:
- The preborn baby has her own unique DNA;
- Her heart starts beating;
- Her eyes, legs, and hands begin to develop;
- She has detectable brain waves; and
- Every major organ system is in place.
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Over the last couple of years, the use of abortion pills have skyrocketed due to the FDA’s expansions. Texas law does not allow elective abortions, yet illegal websites and criminal activists traffic these pills into our state. Texas Right to Life will continue working in the state Legislature to stop dangerous new trends like mail-order abortions. Texas Right to Life is also spearheading efforts to increase resources for pregnant women and families, such as making adoption affordable and funding Alternatives to Abortion.
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