NC Republicans quietly support ruling that would strip abortion pill access | Opinion

More than half of all abortions in the U.S. these days occur through the use of medication. Two drugs — mifepristone and misoprostol — have been used in combination for more than two decades to safely terminate pregnancies without the need for surgery.

But a recent court ruling has put that in jeopardy — and North Carolina Republicans are jumping on board.

The ruling, issued last week by a federal judge in Texas, suspends the Food and Drug Administration’s 2000 approval of mifepristone. It asserts that the FDA succumbed to political pressure when it approved the use of mifepristone and did not adequately evaluate safety concerns. The ruling is unprecedented — it would mark the first time a court has taken a drug off the market over the objections of the FDA.

And, if it stands, it would be a devastating blow to abortion access nationwide. About 5 million people have used mifepristone since it was approved in 2000.

As the case continues to move through the courts, 69 Republican members of Congress filed a brief in support of the ruling. Reps. Virginia Foxx, Richard Hudson, Greg Murphy and David Rouzer of North Carolina signed onto the brief. The brief claims that drugs like mifepristone pose “serious threats to the health and safety of women and girls.”

Republicans should drop the act. Their position has little to do with safety, and far more to do with limiting the right to an abortion nationwide. If this were about safety, then Republicans would not be trying to sabotage what is widely accepted as the safest and least invasive means of terminating a pregnancy.

Here are the facts: medication abortion is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy, and there is an abundance of evidence to support that conclusion. It’s safer than both surgical abortion and childbirth. The rate of major complications is extremely low — less than one percent.

If the ruling stands, the consequences of it will not fall equally. Medication abortion isn’t just safe — it’s also cheaper and more accessible than other methods of abortion. Removing it as an option disproportionately impacts low-income people, people of color and people in rural areas with limited access to health care.

For now, mifepristone is still available, even if its future remains in limbo. An appeals court on Wednesday temporarily blocked the part of the ruling that would remove the drug from the market. But the court did roll back a number of measures taken in recent years to expand access, including the ability for the drug to be sent via mail. Ahead of the weekend, the U.S. Supreme Court put both rulings on hold. (If that all sounds confusing, it’s because it is.)

All four North Carolina Republicans who signed onto the brief have refrained from publicly commenting on the ruling. In fact, the GOP has pretty much avoided the subject altogether. According to The Washington Post, only one Republican has issued a press release in favor of the ruling.

Why?

They rejoiced in the end of Roe v. Wade. For years, they have made clear their intent to restrict abortion as much as possible. Why aren’t they out celebrating this victory?

Perhaps it’s because Republicans are growing increasingly aware that their abortion stance is unpopular. So far, it certainly isn’t helping them win elections. Earlier this month, Democrats flipped the Wisconsin Supreme Court by focusing heavily on abortion — yet another example of the electoral momentum that also aided the party in the 2022 midterms.

Polling has repeatedly shown that a majority of voters reject abortion bans and other measures that would heavily restrict access to the procedure. A Reuters poll conducted in March found that 7 in 10 Americans would oppose federal courts overturning access to mifepristone. The same poll found a month earlier that nearly half of Republicans believe medication abortion should remain legal.

If North Carolina Republicans are going to support the elimination of a drug that has allowed millions of people to make their own health care decisions, they should do so loudly, so voters can know for certain exactly where they stand.