The Quickie: Anti-Abortion Politicians Stay Awfully Quiet on Mifepristone Decision 

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: anti-abortion politicians are staying quiet on the mifepristone decision as it moves through the courts,press call today at 11:30 AM CDT on IA Supreme Court oral arguments, PP files lawsuit challenging MT abortion ban, and advocates urge Gov. Kelly to veto dangerous bills in KS.  

BUELLER?: You hear that? That’s the sound of crickets from the swath of anti-abortion politicians after a federal judge ruled the approval of mifepristone unlawful. Are we surprised? Not at all. Their silence just proves how out of touch they are, as abortion rights continue to be a top issue galvanizing voters. And what have the GOP contenders and hopefuls said since the ruling? Nada. Outside of Mike Pence who stuck to his typical antiquated anti-abortion nonsense, the field is quiet. Where’s Donald Trump? Ron DeSantis? Nikki Haley? Asa Hutchinson? Mike Pompeo? All of the members of Congress who voted for anti-abortion bills? Anyone?? 

The writing is on the wall, but that doesn’t mean they’ll legislate differently or their views have changed. As Axios reported, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill reasserting the FDA's authority to approve medications, including mifepristone, that most House Republicans have yet to co-sponsor. Their silence is nothing but a disingenuous tactic to hide their unpopular agenda. Jenny Lawson, the vice president of organizing and engagement campaigns at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, called them out: 

“You’d think after spending nearly 50 years working towards eliminating abortion rights, they would have something to say about Friday night’s ruling. But they are MIA. They’re seeing the outrage and backlash around the bans and restrictions they’ve introduced and supported and suddenly don’t want to talk about abortion anymore. But anti-abortion politicians can’t hide forever. The American people deserve to hear from their lawmakers about the chaos they have wrought. Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations will make sure of it.”

Other updates on the court cases on mifepristone from yesterday include: 

• The Department of Justice (DOJ) and manufacturer Danco Laboratories sought emergency relief to block Friday’s decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, which stayed the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. PPFA President Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement, “The filings make it clear: the decision to upend the FDA’s approval of mifepristone cannot be allowed to stand. Mifepristone is safe and effective, and must remain on the market. The Fifth Circuit should quickly block the Texas district court’s decision. The very legitimacy of our drug approval system is at stake.”
• Planned Parenthood and our partners held a press conference to discuss the implications of the district ruling. A full recording of the press call is available to download here. 
• Over 500 pharmaceutical and biotechnology company leaders signed a letter calling for a reversal of the district court decision in the case. In part, the letter reads, “If courts can overturn drug approvals without regard for science or evidence, or for the complexity required to fully vet the safety and efficacy of new drugs, any medicine is at risk for the same outcome as mifepristone.” Read more from Reuters and the New York Times.
• The DOJ filed a motion for clarification with the Washington district court on its obligations under the court’s ruling in light of “significant tension” between that decision and the one from the district court in Amarillo. Read more at CBS.

TODAY: PRESS CALL FOLLOWING IOWA SUPREME COURT ORAL ARGUMENTS ON ABORTION BAN: Today at 11:30 AM CDT, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa, ACLU of Iowa, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America officials will host a virtual media call in response to oral arguments in Planned Parenthood of the Heartland v. Reynolds, the continuing legal battle against the state’s currently blocked six-week abortion ban. Oral arguments began earlier today at 9am CT.

WHEN: Today, Tuesday, April 11 at 11:30 am CDT / 12:30 pm EST

WHERE: RSVP HERE. 

WHO: 

• Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU of Iowa Legal Director
• Mazie Stilwell, Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa.

PP FILES LAWSUIT CHALLENGING NEW MONTANA ABORTION BAN: Yesterday, Planned Parenthood of Montana (PPMT) and its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Samuel Dickman, filed a state court challenge to H.B. 721, a bill banning D&E procedures, the safest and most common method of abortion after approximately 15 weeks of pregnancy. While the motion for a temporary restraining was denied simply for being premature, PPMT plans to re-seek relief once the bill becomes law, following Gov. Gianforte’s signing.  

The ban threatens medical providers with a fine of up to $50,000 and ten years in prison just for doing their jobs. The lawsuit argues that H.B. 721 violates the Montana Constitution, which as the Montana Supreme Court held more than two decades ago in the Armstrong decision protects Montanans' right to privacy and access to pre-viability abortions. 

“Despite our state constitution clearly protecting the right to abortion and Montanans' consistent calls for bodily autonomy and personal freedom, our lawmakers remain hell-bent on banning abortion method by method, law by law,” President and CEO of PPMT Martha Fuller said. “Banning one of the safest and most common methods of abortion will put lives at risk.”  

Read more at AP and MTPR. Check out: PPFA press release.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ADVOCATES CALL ON GOV. KELLY TO VETO SLATE OF ANTI-ABORTION AND -TRANS BILLS: Last Thursday, Kansas lawmakers continued their attacks on reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy by swiftly passing legislation in the dead of the night with little transparency. These bills come just six months after Kansans turned out in masses to protect their bodily autonomy in August’s ballot initiative. The bills include: 

• HB2264 which would require providers to give patients information on medically inaccurate claims of abortion pill reversal. This “reversal” has no basis in medicine and is not supported by scientific evidence. 
• A so-called “born-alive” bill (HB 2313), which spreads a false narrative about abortion, and stigmatizes essential reproductive health care. Providers already follow existing laws while offering the highest standards of care.
• Funding for an “Alternative to Abortions” program that would divert critical state funds to CPCs and other extreme anti-abortion programs. 
• A ban on life-saving gender-affirming care for trans youth (SB 26). 

Emily Wales, President of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes, called on Gov. Kelly to veto these dangerous and medically inaccurate bills: 

“These extreme pieces of legislation spread inaccurate, irresponsible, and dangerous information that directly attacks evidence-based reproductive health care and the physicians trained to provide it. Not only are anti-abortion politicians continuing to ignore the will of Kansans – who spoke loud and clear last August – they’re doing so at the expense of their health and safety.”

Check out: PPAF release.