Republicans get their anti-medication abortion ruling
Here’s the Senate rundown
A Trump-nominated judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction that could block the provision of the abortion medication Mifepristone. The ruling is the result of a decades-long plan by the Republican Party to limit abortion access.
If this far-reaching decision stands, Republicans will have successfully disrupted access to medication abortion across the country, including in states with strong abortion rights protections, including Colorado, California, and New York.
Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of where 2024 U.S Senate hopefuls publicly stand on the issue:
Arizona
- Failed 2022 Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake advocated for a ban on medication abortion claiming “I don’t think abortion pills should be legal.”
- Karrin Taylor Robson responded to Lake by saying “I agree.”
Florida
- Senator Rick Scott called medication abortion “dangerous” and demanded that the Food & Drug Administration reverse their actions promoting the mail-order of medication abortion.
Montana
- Greg Gianforte signed a bill that required an in-person doctor’s visit to receive a prescription for medication abortion.
- Matt Rosendale expressed opposition to a Biden-era FDA rule change that allowed women to obtain medication abortion via mail.
New Mexico
- Yvette Herrell co-sponsored legislation that would restrict the development and distribution of abortion medication.
Ohio
- Warren Davidson co-sponsored a bill that would withhold funds from universities that host or are affiliated with an organization that provides medication abortion.
Texas
- Ted Cruz co-sponsored legislation that would limit the manufacturing and distribution of abortion medication. Cruz also called on the FDA to pull Mifeprex, falsely claiming the prescription provided no medical benefit.
West Virginia
- Jim Justice signed into law an abortion ban that restricted the sale of medication abortion.
- Patrick Morrisey claimed that sending medication abortion through the mail was “unsafe and illegal.” Furthermore, Morrisey said he would defend West Virginia’s abortion ban against a lawsuit brought on by an abortion medication provider.
- Alex Mooney opposed the FDA loosening regulations on medication abortion and falsely stated that the pill “puts a woman’s life in harms way.”
For years, Republicans have been fighting to reduce access to these types of medication, and now in the wake of the Dobbs decision, candidates — including those eyeing U.S. Senate seats — will have to own the consequences of their anti-abortion agendas.
