No mail-order sales
A ruling was handed down by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans just before midnight on Wednesday night. The ruling temporarily narrowed a decision by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. The conservative-leaning circuit court preserved access to the abortion pill mifepristone for now but with restrictions.
Kacsmaryk created an earthquake with his ruling last Friday. He suspended the FDA approval of mifepristone. This breaches new territory for a federal judge to declare the FDA’s approval of a drug to be unsafe and ineffective. If Kacsmaryk’s ruling stands, it opens the door for others to challenge the FDA’s approval of other drugs. The judicial system would be in the business of drug approval and that’s a very slippery slope. Do we really want a judge to determine whether or not a drug should receive FDA approval?
This case is going to end up heading to the Supreme Court. It’s just a matter of time before a decision is made by the highest court on when the case will be heard.
For now, the pills will be available for sale but the period of pregnancy in which the drug can be used is reduced. There are also no sales by mail allowed.
From Dublin, the most abortion-friendly president, a “devout Catholic”, pledged to continue to fight for the sale of abortion pills through his spokesperson, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. KJP told reporters, “We are going to continue to fight in the courts, we believe the law is on our side, and we will prevail.
