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Statement

Moms Applaud Biden/Harris Administration for Appealing Ruling that Limits Access to Abortion Care

September 8, 2023
Reproductive Justice

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the U.S. Department of Justice appealing the outrageous Fifth Circuit ruling limiting access to mifepristone:

“Mifepristone is available in the United States today, but that will change if last month’s appalling ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is allowed to stand. That’s why America’s moms and families applaud the Biden/Harris administration for appealing that ruling, which restricts access to an FDA-approved medication that has been proven safer than penicillin, Tylenol, and Viagra, and is the only option many of us have left for abortion. Mifepristone has been used safely in this country for more than 20 years. Whether it will remain available will now be up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Mifepristone is currently used in most abortions in this country.  Attacks on our access to this safe, effective medication have intensified the massive hardship SCOTUS caused with its ruling in the Dobbs case last summer. Moms, women of color, low-income women, young, rural and immigrant women, people with disabilities, and those who are LGBTQIA+ are suffering the most. Most people who have abortions are moms, and moms want abortion care to be accessible to all who need it, regardless of where they live, their financial status, or the source of their health coverage. Being able to choose if we have children, and if so, when and how many children to have, which includes access to abortion care, is a fundamental right.

“If SCOTUS were to rule for abortion opponents, it would have devastating effects on people’s ability to get abortion care in every state. But the harm would be even more broad. An adverse SCOTUS ruling in this case would also jeopardize patient access to other critical medications and undermine the FDA’s authority.

“America’s moms are counting on the U.S. Supreme Court to secure our access to mifepristone. We will remain in this fight for as long as our access to reproductive health care is threatened or denied.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, stop discrimination against women and moms, and build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: www.MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.