The Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to stay a ruling prohibiting mifepristone, one of two drugs used in Texas for medical abortions.
Appointed by former President Donald Trump, District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk gave the US federal government one week to appeal his ruling, which prohibits the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from prescribing and distributing medication beginning this Friday.
The petition filed with the highest court of appeals in the United States seeks to temporarily suspend the measure, which has also been challenged by independent judge Thomas Rice, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
Specifically, Rice’s ruling requires the federal government to maintain the availability of the medication in up to 17 states and the District of Columbia.
Because both decisions are contradictory, the Supreme Court’s intervention cannot be ruled out, which could exacerbate the litigation.
Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota, in addition to Washington D.C., Michigan, and the District of Columbia, are the states in which it would remain.
Abortion pills eliminate the need for surgical intervention. You can have your medication abortion at home or in another comfortable place.
Many women consider medication abortion more “natural” and less invasive than surgical abortion because it is so similar to a miscarriage.
The dispute in court stems from a lawsuit filed against the FDA by doctors and anti-abortion groups, alleging that the agency did not study the drug thoroughly enough and that it is unsafe.
