This week, a federal court of appeals upheld a Texas judge’s decision on the abortion medication mifepristone, which would limit access to, and distribution of, the drug.
The oral medication has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 22 years. When mifepristone is used with a second oral medication, misoprostol, pregnancies of up to 10 weeks can be ended.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Washougal, who represents Southwest Washington, stated her desire to defend access to reproductive care early on in her campaign last year. On Thursday, she joined 50 U.S. senators and 190 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signing an amicus brief, created in part by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Bothell, which urges the courts to “respect the FDA’s authority to approve medications for public use,” a release from Gluesenkamp Perez’s office states.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Edmonds, also signed the brief.
The release from Gluesenkamp Perez, who had a miscarriage several years ago, stated the medication is used as “routine” abortion and miscarriage management.
“Reproductive care is already scarce in rural communities like mine. A ban on mifepristone will only make that worse not just in rural areas, but across the country,” Gluesenkamp Perez said. “I’m fighting to make sure everyone has access to the safe reproductive care they need and can make decisions about their own bodies.”
