FDA pick could reheat abortion politics before midterms
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Past criticism of abortion pills by President Trump's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration could revive an intense debate over abortion rights that the administration has largely managed to duck for the last year and a half.
Why it matters: Though the Senate is unlikely to hold a confirmation vote on White House aide Heidi Overton before the midterm elections, new talk about dialing back access to the pills could work both ways politically for Republicans.
Driving the news: Trump nominated Overton to be the next FDA commissioner last week, posting on social media that she is a "ROCKSTAR ... known to take on the HARDEST issues."
- Overton has previously called the increased use of mifepristone "dangerous" and pushed for "additional safety protections" around its use.
- "I think she's going to bring objectivity to the issue of mifepristone in a way that will expose this drug for the damage it causes women," John Mize, CEO of Americans United for Life, recently told Fox News Digital.
Where it stands: Realistically, Overton probably isn't even going to get a confirmation hearing before November.
- Though that's probably a relief for some GOP lawmakers, it doesn't mean they're entirely in the clear.
- Asked about timing, the Senate health committee that would handle the confirmation process said it doesn't yet have Overton's paperwork.
State of play: Overton has already received criticism from committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) over her participation in a recent White House event calling for changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.
- Cassidy, who lost his primary election to a Trump-endorsed challenger, isn't facing voters.
- But two other Republicans on the committee have advocated for abortion rights in the past, and one of them — Sen. Susan Collins of Maine — is arguably the most threatened Senate Republican incumbent.
- Asked about Overton, Collins' office pointed to her "longstanding policy" of waiting for nominees' confirmation hearings and responses to questions to make a decision about a nomination.
The big picture: The Trump administration has mostly sidestepped abortion issues over the past year and a half — sometimes to anti-abortion advocates' dismay.
- The issue has been a thorn in the GOP's side since the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion, opening the door to restrictions and bans in more than half of the states that have been unpopular with voters.
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former FDA commissioner Marty Makary said nearly a year ago that they were reviewing the safety and efficacy of mifepristone, though most mainstream health organizations say the science around the drug has long been settled.
- But since then, the FDA has approved a new generic abortion pill, angering anti-abortion members of Congress, and taken no action to further restrict access to mifepristone.
- In a statement, a White House spokesperson said the FDA's review of mifepristone is an example of its "total commitment" to Americans' health and safety.
What we're watching: Abortion rights haven't been a major issue so far this election cycle. And it's unclear how much prominence Democrats will want to give it if there's no movement on the FDA opening until after the elections.
- There still will be efforts to communicate the stakes to voters.
- "This for voters is the sign that you can't trust these Republican politicians to stand up for abortion rights going forward," Planned Parenthood Votes spokeswoman Katie Rodihan said. "I think voters are smart enough to see through political tricks of timing."
The other side: Overton's nomination could be the win the anti-abortion community needed after being disappointed by the FDA so far during Trump's second term.
- If Overton is confirmed, "Live Action looks forward to seeing the end to the harm brought by chemical abortion drugs across our country," Mark Wiltz, director of government affairs for the anti-abortion group, said in a statement.
