Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden released the following statement after a right-wing judge today ruled to ban mifepristone nationwide:
“There is no way this decision has a basis in law. It is instead rooted in conservatives’ dangerous and undemocratic takeover of our country’s institutions. No matter what happens in seven days, I believe the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to ignore this ruling, which is why I’m again calling on President Biden and the FDA to do just that. The FDA, doctors, and pharmacies can and must go about their jobs like nothing has changed and keep mifepristone accessible to women across America. If they don’t, the consequences of banning the most common method of abortion in every single state will be devastating.”
In February, Wyden delivered a speech on the Senate floor making the case for why the FDA can and should ignore any ruling that limits access to mifepristone. Wyden’s call to President Biden and the FDA comes after decades of his advocacy for women to have access to abortion medication, holding the first ever congressional hearing on abortion medication in 1990.
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