Massachusetts, California begin stockpiling abortion pills following judge’s decision on mifepristone

Two Democratic-led states are stockpiling abortion drugs following a ruling final week by a U.S. District Court docket choose in Texas that might halt its use throughout the nation.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom mentioned Monday his state had secured about 2 million drugs of misoprostol and Massachusetts stockpiled 15,000 doses of mifepristone, because the Biden administration appeals the Friday ruling by U.S. District Decide Matthew Kacsmaryk that mentioned the Meals and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone 23 years in the past was illegal.

“In response to this extremist ban on a medicine abortion drug, our state has secured a stockpile of another medicine abortion drug to make sure that Californians proceed to have entry to secure reproductive well being remedies,” Newsom mentioned in a information launch. “We is not going to cave to extremists who’re attempting to outlaw these vital abortion companies. Treatment abortion stays authorized in California.”

California bought the stockpile of misoprostol in anticipation of Kacsmaryk’s ruling, in response to the discharge.

Throughout a information convention on Monday, Gov. Maura Healy mentioned “abortion will stay secure, authorized, and accessible right here in Massachusetts,” including that the 15,000 doses ought to cowl a couple of 12 months’s provide.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren appeared alongside Healy, in addition to Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Presley and Massachusetts Lawyer Common Andrea Campbell. They mentioned the Biden administration was dedicated to taking steps to guard abortion rights.

“There are various steps they’ll take,” Warren mentioned. “They usually have begun by instantly interesting the courtroom ruling. … This extremist Texas choose reminds us that Roe can be on the poll in 2024.”

The Biden administration argued Monday that the authorized problem to the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone is “manifestly premature” and mentioned the group of anti-abortion rights physicians and medical associations that focused entry to the drug lack the authorized standing to problem the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, which they neither take nor prescribe.

Additional complicating the authorized panorama is a separate choice from a federal district choose in Washington, additionally issued Friday, that blocks the FDA from altering the established order on the subject of mifepristone’s availability in 16 states and the District of Columbia. These states and D.C. sued the Biden administration in February over a set of restrictions imposed on the drug and sought to protect entry to it.

The Justice Division has sought clarification from that courtroom as to its obligations beneath the order.

–Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.