Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has placed a hold on a lower court ruling that restricts access to the abortion drug mifepristone until Wednesday night. Alito also instructed that any response be filed by responses be filed by April 18 at noon.
Friday’s hold was in response to a formal request earlier in the day from the Justice Department to block a federal appeals court decision that limits access to the abortion drug mifepristone.
Portions of a Texas district court’s order that limits the drug would have otherwise taken effect April 15, but Alito’s order put it on pause.
The government, on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration, earlier today requested an immediate administrative stay to preserve the status quo while the court considers the request.
The administration brief calls the lower court rulings “unprecedented” and says they “unleashed regulatory chaos” by suspending the existing FDA-approved conditions of use for mifepristone.”
The brief used the strongest language in urging the court to block the lower court orders.
“The district court countermanded the scientific judgment the FDA has maintained across five administrations; nullified the approval of a drug that has been safely used by millions of Americans over more than two decades; and upset reliance interests in the health care system that depends on the availability of mifepristone as an alternative to surgical abortion for women who choose to lawfully terminate their early pregnancies.” The administration said those harms would be felt throughout the nation because mifepristone has lawful uses in every state, regardless of whether abortion is legal, for instance,…
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