Democratic lawmakers unite in support of Supreme Court stay on abortion pill restrictions

Democratic lawmakers have come together in support of the Supreme Court order that paused a lower court ruling Friday that would have restricted access to the the common abortion pill mifepristone.

The Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration Friday in a brief order that will hold back a Texas federal judge’s ruling that the Federal Drug and Food Administration (FDA) approval of the drug mifepristone was unsafely rushed and should be restricted. This decision made by the Supreme Court is a temporary victory for the Biden administration, allowing the FDA to maintain its authority on drug approvals.

President Biden and Democrats have now united to celebrate the Supreme Court victory, saying that the repercussions of the Texas ruling would question the FDA’s authority while restricting medical care to women.

Many Democrats pointed out that mifepristone has been a safe and effective drug since it was made available on the market in 2000 after a four-year approval process. Several also hailed the Supreme Court’s order on Friday as the “right decision,” but said more work needs to be down to codify access to the abortion pill.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeted Friday that FDA experts’ judgement should not be replaced with a judges’ “rulings that have no basis in science or law.”

“Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court is the right decision for millions of women nationwide. But it is only temporary,” Pelosi tweeted. “The fight to protect women’s health freedom is not over yet. As this case proceeds, Democrats will never stop fighting to ensure access to this vital medication.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Pelosi’s call for Democrats not to stop fighting against the ruling in a separate tweet.

“Today’s decision shows how dangerously misguided and abhorrent the ruling by Texas District Court was,” Schumer wrote. “While this is a temporary victory, this is hardly the end of the fight to protect women’s health choices.”

“Democrats won’t stop fighting and we will prevail,” he added.

Sen. Maria Cantrell (D-Wash.) also tweeted that the challenge for abortion access remains ongoing.

“Until we pass a federal law codifying abortion rights nationwide, these challenges to abortion rights will continue,” she wrote.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) tweeted that providing women access to abortion health care should never be this “dangerously close.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said that the ruling was the “right decision,” adding that any other decision “would have set a dangerous new precedent where one rogue judge could strip away access to a safe and effective medication for millions of Americans.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called out “Extremist Republican politicians” for targeting access to the abortion pill.

“This fight is not over,” she posted on Twitter.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) also accused Republicans of “working to halt abortion access,” adding that they must protect access to abortion “permanently.”

The 5th Circuit has scheduled an oral argument in the Biden administration’s appeal for May 17. Access to mifepristone will remain unchanged at least until the three-judge panel issues its ruling, but a party could then again appeal to the Supreme Court.