August 16, 2023

Wyden Statement on 5th Circuit Ruling on Mifepristone

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden released the following statement after the 5th Circuit issued its ruling to restrict access to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved abortion medication mifepristone:

“Any effort to restrict access to safe and effective abortion medication is nothing more than a political ploy to control women’s bodies. The science is clear and a wealth of evidence demonstrates the drug’s safety and efficacy, which is why the FDA approved it more than 20 years ago. In fact, mifepristone has fewer complications than Tylenol.

“But this case was never about science. It’s about controlling women’s bodies and ripping away the fundamental right to privacy – the right for a woman to make medical decisions about her own body. The 5th Circuit made it clear again with its shameful decision today that it is willing to do the bidding of extremists and insert itself into women’s private lives. Thankfully, access to mifepristone remains unchanged for now as this case moves through the appeals process. The fate of women’s access to this lifesaving drug is now back in the hands of the Supreme Court – a terrifying thought for those of us who don’t trust the right-wing justices who overturned Roe and who claimed abortion is an issue to be left to the states. 

“In 1990, I chaired the first ever congressional hearing on protecting access to mifepristone. It’s truly shameful that because Republicans have turned the clock back on progress, here I am 33 years later still fighting like hell to protect basic health care for women.”

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