Jan 16, 2025 - Politics & Policy

3 GOP-led states can challenge abortion pill rules, Texas judge says

Sareen Habeshian

packages of Mifepristone tablets are displayed at a family planning clinic on April 13, 2023 in Rockville, Maryland. A Massachusetts appeals court temporarily blocked a Texas-based federal judge's ruling that suspended the FDA's approval of the abortion drug Mifepristone, which is part of a two-drug — Packages of Mifepristone tablets are displayed at a family planning clinic on April 13, 2023 in Rockville, Maryland. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Idaho, Kansas and Missouri can proceed with their push against abortion pill mifepristone, a judge in Texas ruled Thursday.

The big picture: The Republican-led states are seeking to roll back federal rules on the drug to make it harder for people to access the abortion pill through telehealth prescriptions.

Driving the news: The three states want the Food and Drug Administration to allow mifepristone to only be used in the first seven weeks of pregnancy instead of the current 10-week limit.

They're also seeking a requirement of three in-person doctor visits for patients looking to get the medication.

Context: Mifepristone is typically used in tandem with misoprostol to end a pregnancy in the first 10 weeks.

Both drugs are FDA-approved and have long safety and efficacy records.

Go deeper: How abortion pill challenges may rise again

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3 GOP-led states can challenge abortion pill rules, Texas judge says

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