A group of 69 Republican members of Congress filed a brief urging an appeals court to uphold a decision by a federal judge in Texas last week that would stop the prescription of a widely used abortion pill, after more than 200 Democrats from Congress will push to have the order repealed. decision.
The House Republicans who signed were led by Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) and included representatives such as Lauren Boebert (R-Col.) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.). They argued that the federal government’s approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, which has been approved for more than 20 years, is “illegal.”
The 11 Republican senators who signed were led by Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith (Mississippi) and included Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rick Scott (Fla.).
“The FDA’s (Food and Drug Administration) unlawful approval and deregulation of chemical abortion drugs subverts Congressional public policy considerations and guarantees for patient safety,” the lawmakers said in the report.
A federal judge in Texas last week issued a stay that would block the prescription and distribution of mifepristone, giving the federal government a week to appeal the decision before it goes into effect. The FDA promptly filed an appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Officials warned that the judge’s decision in Texas could lead to upheaval in the federal government’s approval of a group of drugs and vaccines, with courts challenging decisions by medical regulators. Democrats have also criticized it as another attack on abortion access by the judiciary.
The Republican lawmakers, who urged the appeals court to allow the federal judge’s suspension in Texas to stand, filed their brief after a group of 240 congressional Democrats urged the appeals judge to overturn the decision.
The Democrats’ report, which included 50 senators and 190 House members, argued that the Texas district judge’s ruling was an “extraordinary and unprecedented step,” arguing that the courts allowed the federal government to delegate regulatory responsibilities for medicines to scientists and medical experts.
“The emergency relief of the order is necessary to mitigate the impending harm faced by members of the public, many of whom rely on the availability of mifepristone for reproductive care, and many more who rely on the integrity of the drug approval process. of the FDA for continued access to life-enhancing and life-saving drugs,” the Democratic lawmakers said in their brief to the judge.
But Republican lawmakers said the decision to block the prescription of mifepristone would “protect women and girls” from what they say are the “harms” of such drugs, and they asked the appeals court to uphold the decision.
“We urge the Court to deny the emergency motion pending appeal, which will allow the suspension of District Court Section 705 to take effect and protect women and girls from the harms of chemical abortion drugs. the Republican lawmakers said.
Zach Schonfeld contributed.
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