Court ruling prohibits a quarter of all abortions in the US

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans issued a sweeping national ban on mailing prescriptions for mifepristone.

After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a constitutional right to abortion in 2022, seeking a prescription for mifepristone across state lines has become common.

Women in states where abortion is illegal would access the pills through a telehealth appointment across state lines.

About a quarter of abortions in the US are performed after such a telehealth appointment.

But the appeals court ruling would mean pregnant women would have to receive the pills personally.

With limited exceptions, abortion is illegal in much of the US, especially in the southeastern part of the country.

“This is a page straight out of the extremist Republicans’ anti-abortion playbook,” she said.

“Let me be clear: the abortion pill is safe and effective.”

The ruling was made by a panel of three judges, all appointed by Republicans.

Democratic Senator Patty Murray said the justices’ decision was “irritating and infantilizing.”

“A patient in rural Washington who was supposed to receive her medications in the mail now has to find a clinic, take time off work, arrange child care and travel — sometimes for hours — for a pill she could have taken safely at home,” Murray said.

“A woman who miscarries will be forced to make the same journey in the middle of one of the worst weeks of her life.”

Meanwhile, Republican Senator James Lankford celebrated the decision.

“The Biden administration has endangered the lives of women and girls by removing protections against mifepristone,” he said.

“Today’s decision by the Fifth Circuit is a major step toward righting this injustice. Let’s ensure women and girls are protected from this dangerous drug.”

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill described the ruling as a “victory for life.”

“The Biden abortion cartel has facilitated the deaths of thousands of babies in Louisiana (and millions in other states) through illegal mail-order abortion pills,” she said.

“Today that nightmare is over.”

Although the ruling was made in Louisiana, it applies nationwide.

It will likely be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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