Supreme Court temporarily preserves abortion pill access


The Supreme Court on Friday upheld nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone — at least for the time being.
In its first major weigh-in since overturning Roe v. Wade, the court blocked a decision by Texas U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk that would have overturned the FDA's approval of the drug. The Supreme Court issued a brief emergency action against Kacsmaryk's ruling, and did not specify why they blocked his decision. However, the case is expected to be litigated for months, and it is likely that the justices upheld the status quo simply to give themselves time to consider their next steps.
The decision by the Supreme Court means that mifepristone will remain on the market for the foreseeable future, and that's a significant victory for the Biden administration, which has fought to codify abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned. The court's ruling means that mifepristone will also remain available by mail, and women can still take it at home up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy, NBC News reported.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In a statement, President Biden praised the court's decision, saying Kacsmaryk's ruling "undermined the FDA's medical judgment and put women's health at risk."
The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, and two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, issued dissenting opinions.
While Thomas did not explain his reasoning, Alito claimed that the public would not have been harmed if the court had allowed Kacsmaryk's ruling to stand. "It would simply restore the circumstances that existed (and that the government defended) from 2000 to 2016 under three presidential administrations," Alito wrote. He added that letting Kacsmaryk's ruling take effect "would not express any view on the merits of the question whether the FDA acted lawfully in any of its actions regarding mifepristone."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
A running list of RFK Jr.'s controversies
In Depth The man atop the Department of Health and Human Services has had no shortage of scandals over the years
By Brigid Kennedy
-
Film reviews: Sinners and The King of Kings
Feature Vampires lay siege to a Mississippi juke joint and an animated retelling of Jesus' life
By The Week US
-
Music reviews: Bon Iver, Valerie June, and The Waterboys
Feature "Sable, Fable," "Owls, Omens, and Oracles," "Life, Death, and Dennis Hopper"
By The Week US
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Supreme Court takes up Trump birthright appeal
Speed Read The New Jersey Attorney General said a constitutional right like birthright citizenship 'cannot be turned on or off at the whims of a single man'
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'You shouldn't need a private company to fill out paperwork for you'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US