Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Blasts Ruling As 'Ideological' Attack; Dems Consider Ignoring It
The Hill: Biden Slams Texas Abortion Pill Ruling As ‘Political, Ideological’ Attack
President Biden slammed the ruling by a federal judge in Texas rejecting the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of an abortion pill as a “political, ideological” attack. Biden said in a statement on Friday that the court has substituted its judgment for that of the FDA, which he called the “expert agency” on approving drugs. He said mifepristone, the pill, has been available for more than 22 years and safely and effectively used by millions of women in the United States and throughout the world. “If this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks,” he said. (Gans, 4/8)
NBC News: House Democrats To Introduce Bill To Shore Up Abortion Pill Access After Texas Ruling
Reps. Pat Ryan of New York and Lizzie Fletcher of Texas will introduce the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act on Monday during a pro forma session of the House, seeking to reaffirm the Food and Drug Administration’s final approval authority on medication abortion and continue to allow providers to prescribe the abortion pill via telehealth, which was widely expanded during the coronavirus pandemic. (Vitali, 4/10)
Can the government "ignore" the ruling? —
The Hill: Biden’s Health Chief Says ‘Everything Is On The Table’ To Fight Abortion Pill Ruling
President Biden’s health chief said “everything is on the table” to fight the Texas abortion pill ruling last week that blocked the prescribing and distribution of mifepristone, including ignoring the ruling as some Democrats have suggested. (Sforza, 4/9)
USA Today: AOC Says Biden White House Should Ignore Abortion Pill Ruling. Can That Happen?
New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on President Joe Biden’s administration to ignore a ruling from a federal judge in Texas that suspended the approval of a common abortion pill, mifepristone. “The executive branch has an enforcement discretion,” Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” also calling the ruling “a mockery of our democracy and a mockery of our law.” (Tran, 4/9)
The Hill: House Republican Suggests Defunding FDA If Texas Abortion Pill Ruling Not Followed
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) warned that Republicans should consider defunding the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if the Biden administration does not adhere to a ruling from a federal judge last week that blocked the long-standing approval of an abortion medication. ... “It’s very dangerous when you have the administration, the Biden administration, coming out and saying they may not uphold a ruling,” Gonzales said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “The House Republicans have the power of the purse. And if the administration wants to not live up to this ruling, then we’re going to have a problem… it may come to a point where House Republicans on the appropriation side have to defund FDA programs that don’t make sense.” (Neukam, 4/9)
