The US Supreme Court ruled on Friday (April 21) to maintain access to abortion pills used in more than half of the country’s abortions, suspending restrictions decided by lower courts, and offering a temporary reprieve. Abortion rights advocates.
The federal government had the Supreme Court promptly take over to stop these rulings, which it gave the structure of the law. Only two conservative justices on the court, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, expressed disagreement on Friday with the decision, which was made by a majority of the nine justices.
sequel after announcement
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In particular, the Supreme Court’s decision means that American women will continue to receive mifepristone, the name of the abortion pill, by mail in states where abortion remains legal.
This is the court’s most significant intervention in the abortion issue since it struck down the constitutional guarantee of abortion in June 2022. But the legal battle over the abortion pill, which unleashes strong emotions, will continue.
New hearing in May
Eschewing outright glee at this point, Democratic President Joe Biden reacted immediately to the banning measures announcement for now. “which would have undermined the FDA’s medical ruling and endangered women’s health”.
Planned Parenthood considered family planning to be a ” good news “but that The facts remain the same: access to mifepristone should never have been threatened in the first place..
sequel after announcement
This decision “It does not erase the chaos, confusion and fear that this case sought to create.”Elisa Wells, founder of the Plan C abortion pill information network, abounded. “And although mifepristone may still be on the market for the time being, access to abortion remains severely and unfairly restricted in many states.”She added in a press release.
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Instead, one of the conservative and anti-abortion groups behind the case, the Freedom Defense Coalition, said the FDA should do so. “to be held accountable for the harm he has caused”. “Our case, which seeks to put women’s health over politics, continues in the lower courts.”he wrote.
A New Orleans appeals court hearing is scheduled for May 17. More than five million American women have taken mifepristone since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration more than 20 years ago.
Court against court
The legal conundrum began when a Texas federal judge, known for his Christian faith, ultra-conservative position and appointment by Donald Trump, on April 7 withdrew his marketing authorization for the drug mifepristone after it was seized by anti-abortion activists. Despite the scientific consensus, it was felt to pose risks to women’s health.
sequel after announcement
A New Orleans appeals court, seized by the federal government, then allowed the abortion pill to remain licensed, but by limiting the access the FDA had granted over the years. His ruling was a ban on mailing out mifepristone and a return to limited use by seven weeks of gestation, instead of ten.
Then Joe Biden’s federal government rushed to the Supreme Court. The latter temporarily reserved access to abortion pills a week earlier, and suspended the appeals court’s decision in order to allow more time to examine the file.
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Complicating matters further, a federal judge sitting in Washington state, appointed by Barack Obama, ruled after his fellow Texan’s ruling that mifepristone “Safe and effective” The Food and Drug Administration has been blocked from withdrawing its approval in 17 states and D.C.
The first suspension decided by the Supreme Court was in effect until Wednesday just before midnight. But in a possible sign of deepening disagreements, Judge Alito indicated on Wednesday that it had been extended by 48 hours, even 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 21. The court can, at its choice, decide to suspend decisions of lower courts, uphold them, take up the case, or, on the contrary, refuse to intervene.
Abortion pills are no longer officially available in the fifteen US states that recently banned abortions, even if roundabout ways have been developed. Therefore, the impact of restrictions or bans on these pills would primarily concern states in which, for many Democrats, abortion remains legal.
