U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) joined more than 100 Republican lawmakers in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court backing a legal challenge aimed at restricting access to mail-order chemical abortion drugs nationwide.
The case, Louisiana v. FDA, was brought by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and seeks to restore in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone, a commonly used abortion medication. The filing comes after the Supreme Court temporarily paused a Fifth Circuit ruling that would have reinstated stricter regulations on the drug until May 11, 2026.
In the brief, lawmakers argued that the Biden administration's Food and Drug Administration unlawfully loosened safeguards surrounding chemical abortion drugs by allowing them to be prescribed remotely and shipped through the mail.
Republicans contend the changes violated longstanding federal law and bypassed congressional authority.
"By deregulating chemical abortion drugs and permitting them to be sent through the mail, the Biden FDA violated that longstanding federal law," the lawmakers wrote.
They argued that "unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats" overrode the will of Congress and state legislatures.
The brief also raised safety concerns about the removal of in-person medical evaluations before Mifepristone is dispensed. Lawmakers claimed that without direct screening, serious medical conditions such as ectopic pregnancies may go undetected and argued that the policy increases the risk of coercion.
Sen. Cornyn and the other lawmakers urged the Supreme Court to deny efforts to block the Fifth Circuit's ruling and instead allow stricter dispensing rules to take effect while litigation continues.
The legal fight over chemical abortion access has become one of the most significant national battles following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe V. Wade, with both parties increasingly turning to federal courts to shape abortion policy nationwide.
