WICKER, HYDE-SMITH & COLLEAGUES WANT ABORTION PILL CLASSIFIED AS HAZARD TO PUBLIC HEALTH
Lawmakers Urge FDA Commissioner to Remove Abortion Pill from U.S. Market
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) are among 20 Senators urging Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn to exercise FDA authority to classify the abortion pill Mifeprex (or mifepristone) as an “imminent hazard to the public health” that poses a “significant threat of danger.”
If Hahn acts, the classification would result in the removal of this pill from the U.S. market.
In a letter to Hahn, the Senators wrote, “It is by now nakedly obvious that the abortion industry and its allies in the media, billionaire philanthropic circles, and special interest groups, have wanted an unregulated and demedicalized abortion pill since the moment the FDA first approved it in 2000. As you may further know, the Clinton administration approved this lethal drug under pressure from these same groups and under a highly politicized approval process. We believe this deadly pill should never have been approved, yet the abortion industry was politically rewarded with an accelerated approval process normally reserved for high-risk drugs that address life-threatening illnesses like AIDS.”
They added, “According to FDA reporting, the abortion pill has taken more than 3.7 million preborn lives, caused 24 maternal deaths, and resulted in at least 4,195 adverse maternal reactions including hemorrhage, excruciating abdominal pain, and severe life-threatening infections. Of course, adverse events are notoriously underreported, which makes the true number impossible to assess. Moreover, as of 2016, abortion pill manufacturers are only required to report maternal deaths. However, most women experiencing adverse reactions (such as hemorrhaging) are more likely to seek emergency care at hospitals and emergency rooms, rather than returning to the abortion facility where the pill was prescribed.”
The Senators concluded, “To protect vulnerable women and children, we strongly urge the FDA to remove this deadly drug from the U.S. market and exercise its authority under 21 CFR § 2.5, declaring it an ‘imminent hazard to the public health.’”
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) led the letter, which is available here.
Last year, Hyde-Smith introduced the Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act of 2019 (S.3072) to prevent labeling changes for already-approved abortion drugs; prevent providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via tele-medicine; and prevent FDA approval of new chemical abortion drugs. Wicker is a cosponsor of this legislation.
###