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The Most High
The court on Monday temporarily blocked an appeals court decision that would have severely limited access to the abortion pill, restoring, for now, the ability of patients to get the drug by phone, mail and pharmacies.
An order signed by Justice Samuel Alito temporarily allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill without visiting a doctor in person, a temporary legal victory for abortion activists.
An appeals court imposed new restrictions on the abortion pill last week.
“It's great to see SCOTUS issue this stay to quickly restore mail order access to mifepristone,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., in response to X's decision. “But this war has just begun.”
FEDERAL COURT OF APPEALS EFFECTIVELY BLOCKS THE SHIPMENT OF ABNORMALTIC PILLS TO THE COUNTRY.
A package of Misoprostol abortion pills is shown in the adjacent photo. (SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images)
“We will stop at nothing to prevent Republicans from implementing a national abortion ban,” he added.
Most abortions in the United States are obtained with medication, usually a combination of mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol. The availability of those drugs has blunted the impact of abortion bans that many Republican-led states have sought since the Supreme Court's 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Louisiana sued to limit access to mifepristone, saying its availability undermines the ban there.
NEW YORK GOV. HOCHUL SIGNS LAW PROTECTING ABORTION PILLS AFTER BECOMING DOCTOR PRESENTED IN LOUISIANA
Anti-abortion rights protesters marched to the Supreme Court during the 52nd annual March for Life in Washington, DC, on Jan. 24, 2025. (Bryan Dozier/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
The executive order remains in effect until at least May 11 at 5 p.m., giving the state time to respond to requests for a temporary stay, and for the high court to address the matter accordingly.
“This decision is not final – stay tuned,” Center for Reproductive Rights President and CEO Nancy Northup wrote in a statement. “Telehealth access to abortion pills has been a lifeline for women since Roe v. Wade was overturned. There's no reason people can't get mifepristone at a pharmacy or through the mail.
“Louisiana's attempt to block access is political and not based on science or medicine. The American people deserve access to this critical drug that has been approved by the FDA for 25 years.”
EXPERTS SOUND THE ALARM WITH 'SHOCKING' STUDY SHOWING SIGNIFICANT RISKS FOR WOMEN TAKING APRILATION PILLS.
Boxes of Mifepristone, the first drug used in medical abortion, are prepared for patients at the Alamo Women's Clinic in Carbondale, Ill., on April 20, 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The manufacturers of mifepristone have filed urgent applications asking the High Court to intervene.
Kristan Hawkins, president of the anti-abortion organization Students for Life, condemned Monday's decision.
“Pill pushers get every benefit of the doubt, including today, as Justice Alito allows pill pushers and big pharma to operate temporarily while disputes are sent to the Court,” he said in a statement.
THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON WILL GIVE DISPENSABLE PILLS TO PHARMACY THIS FALL AFTER A CAMPAIGN TO PUSH STUDENTS.
After Friday's ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, some groups that offer telehealth abortion pills planned to switch to misoprostol-only medications.
Dr. Angel Foster, founder of the Massachusetts Abortion Access Project, said her organization was preparing to send only misoprostol on Monday afternoon but was able to push back.
“Regardless of what happens with this regulatory issue, we and other groups will continue to provide high-quality care to patients in all 50 states,” he said.
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The appeals court's decision would have required the Food and Drug Administration to impose stricter restrictions on access to mifepristone while the case was pending.
Fox News' Bill Mears, Shannon Bream and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
