Two federal judges issued opposing rulings on the long-standing approval of mifepristone, a widely-used abortion drug. A Trump-appointed judge in Texas ordered a hold on the drug’s approval, arguing that its safety had not been properly studied, while an Obama-appointed judge in Washington state issued a competing ruling, ordering that access to the drug be preserved in 17 states.
The duelling court orders are likely to escalate the issue to the US Supreme Court. The pill has been used in most abortions for over 20 years, and limiting access to the drug could affect millions of women in the US.
Legal analysts say the ruling threatens to upend the entire foundation of America’s drug regulatory system. This comes after the Supreme Court removed constitutional protections for abortion last year, triggering a wave of state-by-state bans. While the conservative Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom hailed the Texas ruling as a “significant victory” for women and doctors, Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed it, tweeting: “We can’t let one right-wing extremist overrule women, their doctors, and the scientists.
Source: BBC