Published
March 26, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a case involving the regulation and distribution of chemical abortion pills. Among the issues are whether the FDA violated federal law by dropping specific safety regulations requiring in-person supervision of abortion drugs by physicians and whether the distribution of chemical abortion drugs by mail or common carrier violates a longstanding federal law. A decision is expected by the end of the Court’s term in June.

The Court’s website will have a recording and transcript of the oral arguments later today.

“We strongly believe the Supreme Court should prioritize the health and safety of women and girls in our country by returning protections to prevent the unsupervised distribution of abortion pills, which the Biden-Harris Administration recklessly removed,” said Texas Alliance for Life’s Director of Communications, Amy O’Donnell. “Chemical abortion pills, when taken without the in-person physician visit providing proper medical oversight, needlessly endanger the lives, health, and future fertility of pregnant women.”

Background

  • Texas Alliance for Life has released this video of Dr. Ingrid Skop, Vice President and Director of Medical Affairs at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, explaining the medical risks to pregnant women inherent with chemical abortion drugs. Dr. Skop provided a declaration to the Court that was frequently referenced during oral arguments.

  • This video is part of our Post-Roe Texas Video Series. Other videos on a variety of subjects can be viewed here.

  • The outcome of the case does not affect the status of legal abortions in Texas. State abortion laws have completely protected unborn children from surgical and chemical abortions since the Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs in June 2022. After that, reported elective abortions have plummeted from thousands per month to zero. Texas’ laws have an exception in rare and tragic cases for medically necessary abortions. During the first 16 months after Dobbs, doctors have performed 71 abortions when the pregnancy risks the loss of a woman’s life or major bodily function, according to data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
  • However, Texas doctors may be treating women with complications from chemical abortions they obtained in other states where legal under the FDA’s lax regulations.

CONTACT:
Amy O’Donnell, Director of Communications
512.477.1244 (o)
amy@texasallianceforlife.org

# # #