WaPo: Trump Judge Appears Likely To Ban Abortion Pills

The Washington Post reports:

The federal judge who could upend access to a widely used abortion medication pressed government lawyers in a hearing Wednesday about the safety and approval process for the drug, which has been on the market in the U.S. for more than two decades.

While the antiabortion group challenging the drug acknowledged there is no precedent for a court to order the suspension of a long-approved medication, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk seemed open to the argument that mifepristone had not been properly vetted — claims the FDA and leading health organizations strongly contest.

It took more than four years for the abortion pill to get approval from the FDA in 2000. The lawsuit was brought by the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of antiabortion medical organizations.

Read the full article. Before being nominated by Trump, Kacsmaryk worked for the anti-LGBTQ hate group, the First Liberty Institute. In January, he advanced a challenge to the right to access contraception.

Wednesday, Texas judge Matthew Kacsmaryk will decide the fate of the abortion pill in the US, which women fought to get for decades. 50% of abortions are via these pills. Kacsmaryk is a forced birther–here’s more about him.https://t.co/tatVsiEcNp

— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) March 15, 2023

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk asked an attorney for the group seeking to suspend the drug if he could cite a prior example of a court removing an FDA-approved drug after many years on the market.

Erik Baptist acknowledged that there are no prior examples. https://t.co/rF2tiSV3VC

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 15, 2023

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, is the lone U.S. district judge in Amarillo. His courthouse has become a priority destination for Republicans seeking to challenge aspects of President Joe Biden’s agenda 4/5 pic.twitter.com/f7VXDLGTyF

— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) March 15, 2023