Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has introduced legislation to ban mifepristone, an FDA-approved medication used in medication abortion, citing unsubstantiated safety concerns and questionable data. The proposed “Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act” seeks to revoke the drug’s 26-year approval and open manufacturers to lawsuits from individuals claiming harm. This move comes as medication abortion – using mifepristone and misoprostol – now accounts for over 63% of all abortion care in the U.S., particularly since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Misleading Safety Claims
Hawley’s push relies heavily on a non-peer-reviewed report from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), a conservative think tank. The EPPC claims that nearly 11% of women experience severe adverse events after mifepristone abortions, including sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging. However, experts in the field dismiss these findings as “junk science.” Decades of peer-reviewed research consistently show that serious complications occur in less than 1% of medication abortions.
The Senator has repeatedly characterized mifepristone as “inherently dangerous” and “completely unregulated,” ignoring the FDA’s rigorous approval process and decades of safe usage by millions. Instead of addressing coercive abuse in relationships (where partners may force medication on others), Hawley’s bill targets the medication itself.
Political Motivations
The bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republicans hold only 53 seats out of 100. However, support from influential figures like Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) indicates a determined effort to restrict abortion access. The timing is not accidental: anti-abortion advocates are frustrated by the Trump administration’s slow-walking of an FDA review of mifepristone safety, delaying action until after the 2026 midterm elections.
This push reflects a broader trend within the anti-abortion movement, which sees medication abortion as the primary obstacle to total bans. The ability to obtain abortion pills through telehealth, now used in 25% of U.S. cases, further complicates state-level restrictions. Hawley has previously attempted to ban the mailing of abortion pills and pressured the FDA to reconsider its approval based on similar discredited claims.
The Larger Context
The focus on mifepristone highlights a strategic shift within the anti-abortion movement. With surgical abortions increasingly restricted in many states, the pill has become the primary target. This is not about protecting women’s health, as Hawley claims; it’s about eliminating abortion access entirely.
The reliance on unverified data and the disregard for scientific consensus underscore the ideological drive behind this legislation. Despite the facts, the effort to ban mifepristone will continue as long as political interests prioritize restricting abortion over public health and medical evidence.
The debate over mifepristone is a microcosm of the broader fight over reproductive rights in America, where political agendas often outweigh scientific rigor.
