US Govt Appeals Abortion Pill Ban

The US Justice Department urged an appeal court on Monday to freeze a ruling by a federal judge in Texas that would ban a popularly used abortion pill in a far-reaching case that looks likely to wind up at the Supreme Court.

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former Republican president Donald Trump, on Friday overturned the Food and Drug Administration’s two-decade-old approval of mifepristone, which is used for more than half the abortions carried out annually in the United States.

“The district court’s extraordinary and unprecedented order should be stayed pending appeal,” the Justice Department said in a court filing.

“If allowed to take effect, the court’s order would thwart FDA’s scientific judgment and severely harm women. This harm would be felt throughout the country, given that mifepristone has lawful uses in every state.”

The Justice Department asked the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to stay the district judge’s order pending a full appeal in the case.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, pledged last week to fight the ruling that would ban mifepristone, calling it “an unprecedented step in taking away basic freedoms from women and putting their health at risk.”