Supreme Court ENDS IT For Conservatives In Major Unanimous Decision
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by anti-abortion advocates who sought to restrict access to a medication used for abortion across the country. These activists argued that the medication violated state laws that outright prohibit abortion.
The coverage by Fox News highlighted the significant ruling, affirming that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) retains the authority to approve the use of the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone when women meet the necessary medical criteria for treatment, even in states where abortion is banned in all forms.
Pro-life activists and representatives from Texas contested the FDA's 2022 guidance, but the Supreme Court ruled that they lacked the legal standing to bring the lawsuit.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in authoring the unanimous opinion, emphasized, “Under Article III of the Constitution, a plaintiff’s desire to restrict access to a drug for others does not confer standing to sue. Nor do the plaintiffs’ other standing arguments hold.”
He further stated, “The plaintiffs hold genuine legal, moral, ideological, and policy objections to elective abortion and the FDA's lenient regulation of mifepristone. However, these objections alone do not establish a justiciable case or controversy in federal court under Article III of the Constitution.”
Kavanaugh continued, “The plaintiffs have not shown that the FDA's relaxed regulatory standards are likely to cause them actual harm. Therefore, federal courts are not the appropriate venue to address the plaintiffs' concerns regarding the FDA's actions.”
He suggested, “The plaintiffs may voice their concerns and objections to the President and the FDA through the regulatory process, or to Congress and the President through legislative channels.
They also have avenues to express their opinions on abortion and mifepristone to fellow citizens, including in political and electoral arenas.”
The Supreme Court heard arguments from both sides in March regarding whether the FDA can supersede state laws that restrict the distribution of mifepristone to women seeking abortions.
The New York Times noted that twenty-one states have imposed restrictions on this method, a safeguard that Roe v. Wade had provided before its overturn in 2022. Fox reported that two of these states prohibit abortions upon detecting a fetal heartbeat, typically around the sixth week of pregnancy, while the remaining fourteen states either ban abortions entirely or in most cases.
This decision came a day after former President Donald Trump spoke at the conservative Southern Baptist church's annual conference, where many fervent anti-abortion activists hoped for assurances that he would maintain his pro-life stance if reelected.
Instead of appearing in person, Trump opted for a two-minute video where he notably avoided mentioning “abortion.” Earlier, he had supported Republican initiatives to protect in-vitro fertilization, a practice opposed by the Southern Baptist church at their gathering.