The Quickie: While Mife Remains Safe for Now, Challenge Could Continue in Lower Courts

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: Mife remains safe for now, PPAF patient advocates ask Congress to support SRH, and a PPVotes spotlight.

WHILE MIFE REMAINS SAFE FOR NOW, CHALLENGE COULD CONTINUE IN LOWER COURTS: By now, you’ve read that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a group of anti-abortion physicians does not have standing to challenge the FDA’s actions related to the approval of mifepristone. 

But what you may not have seen is that this attack on medication abortion could continue, as the case will be sent back down to federal district court judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who prematurely allowed the states of Kansas, Missouri, and Idaho to intervene in the case and who previously ruled to end the approval of mifepristone. That’s despite the clear and longstanding evidence that mifepristone is safe and effective and has been used for decades. 

As Jacqueline Ayers — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s Senior Vice President of Policy, Campaigns, & Advocacy — explained to reporters on a press call yesterday, “Right now, Planned Parenthood health centers across the country will continue to provide patients with medication abortion using mifepristone in states where abortion is legal.” 

Read more about where the case goes from here.

And there’s still another case about sexual and reproductive health care before the Supreme Court this term – where justices will decide if pregnant people can get the emergency care they need. Whew. 

PATIENT ADVOCATES ASK CONGRESS TO SUPPORT SEXUAL AND REPRO HEALTH CARE: This week, Planned Parenthood Action Fund patient advocates from across the country visited Capitol Hill to meet with their members of Congress and their staff about the importance of protecting and expanding access to sexual and reproductive health care. Their visits coincided with the Supreme Court’s ruling on access to mifepristone.

Two patient advocates also shared their experience with medication abortion, including Campbell Baker from Seattle, Washington, who recounted receiving care from a Planned Parenthood health center:

“I used medication abortion from Planned Parenthood after being sexually assaulted. I knew it was the only right choice for me, and since being raped, the only time I was actually given a choice. If Planned Parenthood wasn't there, I'd have been forced to raise someone that I had no choice in carrying, and no choice in what to do next. I grew up in a place with access to medication abortion and many options for my reproductive needs, but most people are not as lucky as me. Safe reproductive care should be accessible for everyone everywhere.”

If you are interested in interviewing a patient advocate please email [email protected].

Read more here.

REPUBLICANS CONTINUE TO THREATEN ACCESS TO IVF: Yesterday, Senate Republicans blocked the Right to IVF Act, the latest attack in the anti-reproductive rights agenda, and another reason to vote them out in November. Their refusal to support protections for IVF is grossly at odds with the majority of Americans who — by a 51-point margin — support Congress taking action to protect families’ access to IVF. 

Jenny Lawson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes, released the following statement in response to yesterday’s vote:

“Republican senators and Senate candidates can’t have it both ways. They cannot lie to the American people claiming they support IVF, and then vote against these protections or support ‘life at conception’ legislation that would clearly put access to IVF at risk. We know it’s all smoke and mirrors — and voters do too. All our rights are on the chopping block, and we must vote accordingly this fall. From last week’s refusal to support the Right to Contraception Act, to the looming threat of a national abortion ban, they will stop at nothing to control the decisions people make about their own bodies. We must secure a pro-reproductive rights majority this November by defeating incumbents like Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), and blocking challengers like Kari Lake (R-AZ), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and David McCormick (R-PA) who, along with Donald Trump, are gunning for our rights. Our reproductive freedom and futures depend on it.”

Read more here.