IAmid the fight for a comprehensive abortion ban in the US, a federal judge in Texas has canceled the abortion pill mifepristone in the United States. Arch-conservative Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk also said the decision would not come into effect for a week, to give federal authorities time for a possible appeal. Mifepristone is used in more than one in two abortions in the United States.
The federal judge appointed by ex-President Donald Trump upheld a lawsuit by anti-abortionists against the FDA, which approved the pill mifepristone more than 20 years ago. The plaintiffs accused the FDA of putting “politics over science” and approving a “dangerous” drug without adequate testing.
Democrats criticize “politicization of medicine”
In early March, US President Joe Biden’s administration warned against a ban on the abortion pill. “This step would be devastating for women,” said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre at the time. The US government is working to “be prepared for any possible outcome”.
Politicians from Biden’s Democratic Party immediately sharply criticized the federal judge’s decision on Friday. “This ruling opens a new door to the politicization of medicine,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on Twitter. “Extremists will not stop scraping abortion rights.” Senator Elizabeth Warren warned that women could now “lose access to a safe and legal drug they have relied on for decades.”
Shortly after Judge Kacsmaryk’s decision, a Washington state judge issued an order directly contradicting the Texas decision, the New York Times reported. The FDA was therefore asked not to make any changes to the availability of mifepristone. According to the newspaper, the conflicting judgments could lead to the Supreme Court having to rule on the matter.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, more than 5.6 million women have used the pill since it was approved in 2000. In less than 1,500 cases there were complications without a link to mifepristone being established.
Mifepristone, known in Germany under the trade name Mifegyne, is used in the USA in combination with the drug misoprostol for abortions. Many women prefer a medical abortion to an instrumental intervention.
Abortion rights are one of the most controversial and contested socio-political issues in the United States. The country’s Supreme Court abolished the country’s fundamental right to abortion last June – a ruling that triggered a political earthquake. The Supreme Court’s decision gave states the right to massively restrict or ban abortion. Many conservative states have already done so.