Source: Kent Nishimura / Getty
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is allowing a widely used abortion pill to remain on the market, for now.
The SCOTUS is pausing a lower court ruling that would have halted access to the widely used abortion pill mifepristone.
The seven-to-two vote came after the court extended a temporary stay on a Texas federal judge’s ruling to halt production and distribution of the drug. With the ruling, women can still obtain the drug by mail, and use it up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy.
President Biden said he’ll continue to stand by the FDA’s “evidence-based approval” of the abortion pill. Vice President Kamala Harris applauded the decision Friday, saying, “Our Administration will not waver in our commitment to preserving access to essential medication.”
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito – two conservatives on the court – said they would have denied the request for a pause.
Mifepristone was approved for use by the FDA in 2000, and more than 5 million women have used it since. Advocacy groups had sued to ban the drug, claiming the FDA ignored safety risks.
The case now returns to the Fifth Circuit Appeals Court in New Orleans, where a three-judge panel will hold a hearing on May 17th.
Source: Kent Nishimura / Getty
