WASHINGTON − The Supreme Court is poised to address the contentious issue of abortion in a case that could significantly restrict access to a widely used abortion drug and limit the authority of the Food and Drug Administration.
Two years after overturning Roe v. Wade, the justices will review whether to reverse FDA decisions that eased restrictions on the prescription and distribution of mifepristone.
This drug was used in nearly two-thirds of abortions last year.
Despite widespread support from various government bodies and experts affirming the drug's safety compared to common medications like Tylenol and Viagra, anti-abortion groups challenging mifepristone question these findings.
They argue that the FDA disregarded its own guidelines and overlooked conflicting data.
The court's ruling, expected by the end of June, will intersect with an election year.
President Joe Biden has highlighted his efforts to safeguard access to medication abortion, attributing the erosion of abortion rights to former President Donald Trump's appointment of judges.
Trump, the presumed GOP nominee expected to challenge Biden in the upcoming election, has claimed credit for appointing three Supreme Court justices who affirmed that there is no prescribed right to abortion.