Shaheen, Hassan Join Warren, Group of Democratic Senators to Introduce Resolution Affirming Support for FDA’s Scientific Judgment That Medication Abortion Is Safe and Effective

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined a group of Democratic U.S. Senators led by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to introduce a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion.

This action comes as Americans continue to grapple with the reversal of Roe v. Wade and follows last week’s announcement that the Supreme Court will hear a challenge to medication abortion access.

“Limiting access to mifepristone would deal yet another blow to women’s reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy. The opinions of GOP lawmakers and extreme jurists have no place in dictating women’s ability to access the reproductive care they need,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to join this resolution that emphasizes the importance of maintaining and protecting women’s fundamental right to make decisions about their own reproductive health care.”

“Across the country, women are grappling with the very personal impacts of the attacks on a woman’s fundamental freedom by anti-choice extremists,” said Senator Hassan. “Science has shown that mifepristone is safe and effective, and I am proud to join my colleagues in standing up for a woman’s fundamental freedom and making clear that access to this often life-saving medication must remain available.”

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights have been increasingly under attack, with more than a dozen states banning or restricting access to abortion care, and anti-abortion extremists attempting to ban medication abortion nationwide. Medication abortion is currently used for over half of all abortions.

“I am fed up with extremists trying to turn back the clock and deny women reproductive health care – especially after decades of science that show that medication abortion is safe and effective. Any threat to the accessibility of this drug would be devastating to both health care providers and patients across the country, and Senate Democrats are demonstrating with this resolution that we're determined to fight back,” said Senator Warren.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the scientific judgment of the FDA that mifepristone is safe and effective should be respected and that law and policy governing access to lifesaving, time-sensitive medication abortion care in the United States should be equitable and based on science. The resolution affirms that mifepristone is safe and effective, while acknowledging the significant harm that would be posed to both health care providers and patients across the nation if mifepristone were sharply curtailed.

Full text of the resolution is available here.

The resolution was also co-sponsored by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Ron Wyden (D-WY), John Fetterman (D-PA), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

The resolution has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Power to Decide, National Council of Jewish Women, The Century Foundation’s Health Equity and Reform Team, National Partnership for Women and Families, Guttmacher Institute, Center for Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America), In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, and the EMAA Project.

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