In a surprising, given the oral comments from Justices Samuel ‘Theocracy is a Good Thing’ Alito and Clarence ‘Airline Free Miles’ Thomas, unanimous ruling, the United States Supreme Court ruled against petitioners who wanted to restrict or outright deny access to the abortion pill, Mifepristone because of lack of standing.
Stay Tuned. This issue will undoubtedly come up again after the Presidential Election.
After the ruling, President Joe Biden released a statement through the White House Press Office. It read:
“Today’s decision does not change the fact that the fight for reproductive freedom continues. It does not change the fact that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, and women lost a fundamental freedom. It does not change the fact that the right for a woman to get the treatment she needs is imperiled if not impossible in many states.”
“It does mean that mifepristone, or medication abortion, remains available and approved. Women can continue to access this medication – approved by the FDA as safe and effective more than 20 years ago.”
“But let’s be clear: attacks on medication abortion are part of Republican elected officials’ extreme and dangerous agenda to ban abortion nationwide. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Republican elected officials have imposed extreme abortion bans in 21 states, some of which include zero exceptions for rape or incest. Women are being turned away from emergency rooms, or forced to go to court to plead for care that their doctor recommended or to travel hundreds of miles for care. Doctors and nurses are being threatened with jail time, including life in prison, for providing the health care they have been trained to provide. And contraception and IVF are under attack.”
“The stakes could not be higher for women across America. Vice President Harris and I stand with the vast majority of Americans who support a woman’s right to make deeply personal health care decisions. We will continue to fight to ensure that women in every state get the health care they need and we will continue to call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law — that is our commitment.”
Later on social media, after Republicans blocked a measure designed to memorialize access to In Vitro Fertilization, the President posted on social media:
Vice President Kamala Harris issued a statement through the Biden/Harris Campaign, offering:
“This ruling does not change the fact that millions of American women are today living under cruel abortion bans because of Donald Trump.
“Nor does this ruling change the threat to medication abortion. We know the Trump team has a plan to try to end access to medication abortion and carry out a Trump Abortion Ban in all 50 states, with or without Congress, if they get the chance. We cannot and will not let that happen.
“The contrast is stark: While Trump relentlessly attacks reproductive freedoms, President Biden and I will never stop fighting to protect them. Americans have repeatedly made it clear they want more freedom, not less, and they will make their voices heard at the ballot box once again this November.”
Reaction among Arizona Democrats was rejoiceful. Below is a sampling.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs posted on social media:
“I applaud the unanimous decision by the US Supreme Court to uphold nationwide access to the drug Mifepristone. Millions of Americans have used Mifepristone safely and effectively for over two decades. By reversing the disastrous ruling by the Fifth Circuit, today’s decision will save lives and avoid widespread confusion among providers, distributors, pharmacies, and patients. I am proud to have fought alongside my fellow attorneys general to ensure that this critical medication is available and accessible for Americans seeking reproductive health care. I will never stop fighting against any attempts to restrict the rights of Arizonans to make their own healthcare decisions without interference from anti-abortion politicians and activists.”
State Senator and Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (ADLCC) Co-Chair Priya Sundareshan, a champion at the State Legislature for Reproductive Freedom. commented:
“The Supreme Court has properly recognized that it would inadvisable to continue to strip access to healthcare to Americans, after its shocking action two years ago in overturning Roe v. Wade. I am glad to see the FDA’s decades-old approval of mifepristone remains in place, and Americans will vote in November for lawmakers who will restore their healthcare access.”
State Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, Sundareshan’s partner in the fight for reproductive freedom, relayed:
“This SCOTUS decision is a victory over extremism. We all know Mifepristone is safe and effective, and thankfully our court did not allow a group of extremists with no standing to thwart access to abortion medication, which is a critical method ensuring access.”
Arizona Democratic Party Chairperson Yolanda Bejarano wrote:
“Today’s decision is a victory for reproductive rights that Arizona Republicans and Donald Trump worked hard to fight against. This is not the end of Republicans’ relentless attack on our freedoms, and Arizonans deserve better than to be bracing for impact every time reproductive or abortion rights are on the docket. To restore and permanently protect the right to an abortion in Arizona and nationwide, we must elect Democrats up and down the ballot this November.”
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