On Friday, a Texas federal judge suspended the FDA’s authorization of mifepristone, an abortion pill that can be used in conjunction with another medication to induce abortion.
Nancy Mace urged the Biden administration to disregard the abortion pill ban, (Photo; Yahoo)
Suspension of Mifepristone
The suspension of mifepristone will not take effect for a week, it effectively bans the sale of the pills across the country. The Biden administration appealed the decision, and Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, urged President Joe Biden to use his executive powers to preserve access to the medication even earlier.
Mifepristone is used by hundreds of thousands of patients in the United States for both abortions and treating miscarriages, according to a published report in POLITICO.
READ ALSO: U.S. FDA Now Allows Pharmacies To Sell Abortion Pill
Republican Lawmaker Suggests to Disregard the Judge’s Ruling
Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, suggested that the Biden administration should disregard the judge’s ruling and not interfere with the sale of the abortion pill. She stated that it is not up to legislators or the court system to determine whether this medication should be used or not. Mace said, “I agree with ignoring it at this point… this thing should just be thrown out quite frankly.”
Mace was the first Republican to side with outspoken Democrats who support abortion rights. She acknowledged that Republicans have not shown compassion for women on this issue, and she emphasized the need to demonstrate compassion, particularly to women who have been sexually assaulted. She also pointed out that most Americans are not radically opposed to abortion access and that the FDA should be allowed to authorize the sale of the drug.
Defunding FDA Programs
Rep. Tony Gonzalez, a Texas Republican, suggested that FDA programs be defunded if the ruling is ignored. However, Mace stated that most Americans would likely agree with the FDA’s authority to allow the sale of the drug and that compassion must be shown to women on the abortion issue.
Mace said, “We are getting it wrong on this issue…We’ve got to show some compassion to women, especially women who’ve been raped. We’ve got to show compassion on the abortion issue because by and large, most Americans aren’t with us on this issue.”
