Statement from URGE on SCOTUS’ Decision to Take Up Abortion Pill Case

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States announced that it will decide on a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Mifepristone this spring, following their previous decision earlier this year that returned the decision back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mifepristone is a safe and accessible abortion option that has been used by over 5 million people, with a safety record of over 99%. This decision once again puts the future of reproductive freedom for all Americans in the hands of nine justices. 

In response, Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, said:

“Once again, our health and futures are in the hands of a Supreme Court who has proven they are willing to take away abortion access and endanger our communities. This case regarding  FDA approval of Mifepristone has the potential to eliminate one of the remaining safe abortion options for millions of Americans, posing a serious threat to our health and safety and limiting our ability to have an abortion on our own terms.

“Mifepristone is a safe and accessible medication that has allowed people to end pregnancies for over 20 years, with a safety record of 99%. The fact that its FDA approval is now up for debate is another egregious attempt by politicians overstepping their power to control our decisions about our bodies. We are talking about a safe and effective medication with a decades’ long track record, these attacks are a brazen political attempt to take away our rights.

“If Mifepristone’s FDA approval is revoked, young people, BIPOC and low-income folks in the South and Midwest will be the most impacted by surveillance, criminalization, and prosecution. It will also further impact the millions of people in states where abortions are already restricted as a result of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and the subsequent abortion bans and restrictions.

“While extremists seek to strip away abortion access, voters are doing the opposite. In states from Kansas to Ohio to Michigan, the American people are demanding that abortion access stays in place. It’s time for the Supreme Court to do its job and protect our rights – not gut them.

“We strongly urge the Supreme Court of the United States to uphold Mifepristone’s FDA approval and prevent further attacks on our bodily autonomy. We won’t let these justices open the door for anti-abortion extremists to decide what medications are allowed over scientific evidence and the advice of doctors, and we will always fight to expand abortion access for all.”

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