McClellan Statement on Supreme Court Mifepristone Oral Arguments

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Food and Drug Administration, which will determine the future availability of mifepristone: 

“The Supreme Court hears oral arguments today to decide Americans’ future access to mifepristone, a safe, effective at-home abortion medication. After Trump-appointed judges overturned Roe v. Wade, Americans’ reproductive freedoms have been under attack, as extreme politicians and conservative legislators work to roll back our progress. This case is another calculated attack by extreme anti-abortion groups to restrict individuals’ ability to make their own health care decisions. 

“The United States has some of the worst pregnancy-related health outcomes of any high-income nation in the world. The ongoing attacks on reproductive health care have major impacts on historically marginalized groups, especially Black women, who face disproportionately higher rates of maternal mortality, preterm births, and other pregnancy-related complications. In this current moment, we should empower people to make the best health care decisions for themselves, in consultation with their providers, not strip rights away. As a Black woman who almost died during childbirth, I understand the anxieties and dangers we face becoming pregnant in America. We deserve the right to make our own decisions on how and when to become pregnant. Our lives depend on it. 

“The decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Food and Drug Administration will set a major legal precedent that could have far-reaching consequences beyond mifepristone. It could undermine medical innovation, stifle our drug approval processes, and throw every approved medication into jeopardy. Scientific and medical evidence should determine which treatments and services are offered. Politicians and judges have no place in these decisions. 

“The Supreme Court’s decision to hear this case means mifepristone remains on the market and accessible in states where abortion is legal, but its future is in jeopardy. As a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus, I signed onto an amicus brief to the Court, urging them to protect access to mifepristone. Today, I reiterate that call and reaffirm my commitment to protecting comprehensive reproductive health care for every American.”