Politics

Republican Senators Demand Answers From FDA Commissioner On New Abortion Drug Approval

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A group of GOP senators is calling on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary to provide answers about his agency’s recent approval of a new generic chemical abortion drug.

Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and 16 other Republican senators, sent a letter to Makary on Thursday seeking answers on the FDA’s recent approval of the “dangerous” abortion drug. The senators’ letter comes after the FDA quietly approved a generic abortion pill from the drugmaker Evita Solutions on Sept. 30, drawing criticism from many GOP lawmakers.

The other Republican Sens. who sent the letter to Makary include Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Mike Lee of Utah, James Risch of Indiana, John Cornyn of Texas, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Jon Husted of Ohio, Steve Daines of Montana, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Mike Rounds of South Dakota.

“To be clear: this approval fails to mitigate the risks to women that have been identified and fails to protect women from the coercive use of the drug,” the senators wrote in the letter. “It also flies in the face of President [Donald] Trump’s strong statement that he is ‘the most pro-life president’ in history and his dedication to protecting the lives of unborn children and keeping women safe.”

“In light of the FDA’s approval of another means of chemical abortion under the same flawed REMS framework, it is imperative that you provide an update on your review of mifepristone and your plans to reinstate necessary safeguards,” the lawmakers added.

When reached for comment, a Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the agency “will respond to the senators directly.”

“Additionally, HHS is conducting a study of the reported adverse effects of mifepristone to ensure the FDA’s risk mitigation program for the drug is sufficient to protect women from unstated risks,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson also referred the DCNF to an Oct. 2 X post from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement that abortion drugs are “risking the lives of women” across the nation.

“Abortion drugs are taking the lives of unborn children, risking the lives of women across America, and undermining the sovereignty of states’ pro-life laws. Women, children and our citizens deserve better,” Dannenfelser said. “The lawlessness surrounding the distribution of these drugs—kicking the physician out of the doctor-patient relationship—has put drugs in the hands of abusers of underage girls and women. The horror stories and facts roll in daily, yet the response from the FDA was to approve a cheaper version of a drug that ends unborn lives and sends women to the ER. We are deeply grateful to Chairman Cassidy and his Senate colleagues for leading this critical oversight letter to the FDA.”

An April study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank, found that one in ten women experience a “serious adverse event” after taking the abortion pill. Moreover, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed in September that the FDA was launching a review into risks related to the abortion drug mifepristone.

Hawley said in an Oct. 2 post to X that he has “lost confidence in the leadership at FDA” following the agency’s approval of the new generic chemical abortion drug.