Ken Paxton Joins Other State AGs in Fight Against Abortion Pills and FDA
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton targeted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and two of the country’s largest pharmacy chains. February 3rd In the announcement, Paxton said he joined a multi-state effort to slow down the prescribing of mifepristone “after the FDA made sweeping changes to its policy on specific abortion drugs.”
Mifepristone is a medication used with misoprostol for medical abortion. In December 2021, the FDA lifted the requirement that mifepristone be dispensed to a patient in person only, and in January 2023, the FDA approved a protocol to allow pharmacies to dispense the drug directly to patients.
Following the latest change, the FDA and CVS and Walgreens announced that they plan to sell mifepristone in states where abortion is not completely illegal to patients with a prescription from a certified health care provider, including prescriptions issued through telehealth visits.
The move, following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022, should have caught the attention of conservative lawmakers during the current legislative session. Bills are now in the legislatures of many states to tighten restrictions on access to abortion.
In an open letter written by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, it is clear that he, Paxton, and nearly 20 other state attorneys general are unhappy about this.
“As Attorney General, I have a responsibility to enforce laws as they are written, and that includes enforcing the very laws that protect Missouri women and unborn children,” Bailey said in the letter. “My office is doing everything in its power to keep these companies informed about the law, with the promise that we will use every tool at our disposal to comply with the law if it is broken.”
Paxton’s announcement that he was joining Missouri AG’s efforts included stating that “although the FDA has relinquished its responsibility to protect women’s health, we have not.” This sentiment echoes the end of Bailey’s letter when he writes, “We emphasize that it is our duty as State Attorneys General to uphold the law and protect the health, safety, and welfare of women and unborn children in our states.”
“Any threat to access to abortion is a threat to everyone’s bodily autonomy.” – Camion Conner, Texas Equal Access Foundation
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Drucilla Tigner, deputy director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, is unmoved by Paxton’s statement that he is concerned about the health of Texas women.
“Ken Paxton and the anti-abortion extremists have proven they are focused on banning abortion and dismantling the sexual and reproductive health system across the country, including by trying to end FDA approval of mifepristone,” says Tigner. “Abortion is a health concern, and all attempts to deny access to basic health care are in direct conflict with any claims to protect Texans.”
Camion Conner, executive director of the Texas Equal Access Foundation’s abortion rights group, says “abortions are part of the full spectrum of pregnancy care.” She views this threat to pharmacies as a threat to women’s rights, and not as a manifestation of concern for their health.
“Any threat to access to abortion is a threat to everyone’s bodily autonomy,” she says. “The criminalization of abortion further encourages police, ICE and other law enforcement agencies to monitor people and investigate their pregnancy outcomes.”
Adding to Bailey’s stern letter and Paxton’s press release is news of a new lawsuit seeking to overturn the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. Texas Tribune reports that “the case was filed in Amarillo, where U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kaczmarik, appointed by President Donald Trump and known for his conservative views on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, could have ruled as early as this week.”
Paxton has been one of the most vocal opponents of abortion in the country since the Supreme Court ruling. In the past few months, he has spoken out against the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Biden administration over decisions regarding access to abortion. Planned Parenthood’s Tigner isn’t surprised.
“Ken Paxton has long been the lead architect of the fight against our personal freedoms and is not interested in doing what is best for the people he has been chosen to serve,” she says. “Everyone should be able to make decisions about their reproductive life and future, including choosing the method of abortion best suited to their circumstances.”
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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.
