HYDE-SMITH CHALLENGES BIDEN’S PRO-ABORTION POLICIES AT HEARING AND IN KEY VOTE
Miss. Senator Quizzes FDA Commissioner on Abortion Drugs at Hearing, Votes to Overturn VA Abortion Policy
VIDEO CLIP: Senator Hyde-Smith Says FDA Violated the Law in Deregulating Abortion Drugs.
VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Questions FDA Commissioner on Abortion Drug Policies.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on two fronts today challenged the Biden administration’s permissive pro-abortion polices, questioning the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about abortion drugs and voting to overturn an illegal U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule that provides abortion services through the taxpayer-funded VA health care system.
Hyde-Smith questioned FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf on his agency’s improper approval and deregulation of chemical abortion drugs at a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to review the FDA’s FY2024 budget requests.
“I just find it extremely concerning that under your watch, the FDA allowed dangerous life-ending, because it does kill the baby, chemical abortion drugs to be ordered by consumers through mail or purchased in retail pharmacies without ever seeing a doctor in person,” Hyde-Smith told Califf.
“I’m truly grateful that the two federal courts’ have ruled that the FDA’s most recent actions failed to meet its legal obligation,” the Senator said. “So that’s what the lawsuit is about—not judging whether a drug is safe or unsafe, but that the FDA failed to meet its legal obligation to protect the safety of women and girls, and that it also directly violated longstanding federal criminal laws that expressly prohibited the mailing and interstate shipping of abortion drugs.”
Hyde-Smith’s questioning largely followed the arguments made in amicus briefs she led as chair of the Senate Prolife Caucus in a lawsuit challenging the FDA approval and deregulation of harmful chemical abortion drugs. Califf expressed confidence in the FDA’s legal standing and repeatedly referred to briefs filed by the Justice Department to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the agency.
Following the hearing, Hyde-Smith voted in favor of a bicameral joint Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to nullify the Biden administration rule that turned VA medical facilities into abortion clinics that also extended abortion services to certain veterans’ dependents and failed to provide any conscience protections for VA medical staff. Hyde-Smith cosponsored the resolution, which failed 48-51.
“The Biden administration must be held accountable for this blatant attempt to turn taxpayer-funded VA hospitals into abortion centers in clear violation of federal and state law,” Hyde-Smith said.
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