Hawley Introduces Bill to Revoke Mifepristone Approval

Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced legislation on Wednesday aimed at revoking the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, the drug commonly used in medication abortions. The measure, known as the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, would prohibit the distribution and use of mifepristone for ending pregnancies and allow women who experience harm from the drug to sue its manufacturers.

Hawley announced the bill during a press conference in Washington, D.C., flanked by women who described severe complications after taking the medication. He argued that the drug, approved by the FDA in 2000, has become increasingly unregulated and poses significant health risks. "The science is clear: the chemical abortion drug is inherently dangerous to women and prone to abuse," Hawley said in a statement. "Congress must act now to protect the health and safety of women."

Mifepristone is taken in combination with another drug to terminate early pregnancies and accounted for about 63 percent of all abortions in the United States in 2023, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute. Its widespread availability has grown since the Supreme Court's 2022 decision...