Abortion Pills Will be Available with Prescription

Today, CVS and Walgreens announced that abortion drugs will be available by prescription in select states.

Walgreens announced that it will offer the pills in select pharmacies in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and Illinois. A CVS representative said that the company will be offering the pills in all of its pharmacies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

“We are extremely disappointed that the two largest pharmacy chains in the United States are offering abortion drugs,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Mifepristone, the first drug in the two-drug process, was developed to take the life of an unborn child and always has the potential to harm the mother.” 

Continued Tobias, “Sadly, this life-taking drug will now occupy space on shelves next to drugs created to help and not harm patients.”

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument this month regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s decisions in 2016 and 2021 to loosen regulations of the abortion drug mifepristone and whether the challengers have standing to bring their case.

“We hope the justices reconsider the approval of this dangerous drug combination or at the minimum reinstate long-standing safety protocols,” said Tobias. 

“The Biden Administration has promoted unlimited abortion until birth since the first day President Biden entered the White House,” said Tobias. “This administration has worked hand-in-hand with pro-abortion groups to make mifepristone widely available, regardless of the harm it can do to women and their preborn children.”

The consolidated cases the Supreme Court will hear are FDA, et al. v. Alliance Hippocratic Medicine, et al. and Danco Laboratories, L.L.C. v. Alliance Hippocratic Medicine, et al. 

Mifepristone is used in combination with misoprostol, a prostaglandin, to cause an abortion. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, leading to the death of the unborn baby, while the second drug, misoprostol, causes powerful, painful uterine contractions to expel the dead or dying baby.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the government agency that tracks the nation’s abortions, approximately 56% of all abortions are done using chemical abortion methods like mifepristone and misoprostol.

The FDA recently weakened the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requirements for the drug combination to allow it to be dispensed and even mailed by pharmacies.

“Even the FDA admits that these drugs will fail or come with complications for a number of women. When hundreds of thousands of women take these pills, even a couple of percentage points of women hemorrhaging, dealing with infections, or ectopic pregnancy, means thousands of women desperately seeking emergency treatment, which may or may not be nearby,” said Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of Education and Research for National Right to Life.

In April 2023, National Right to Life released a white paper Addressing Many of the Myths the Media is Repeating about the FDA’s Approval and Management of Mifeprex (Mifepristone) which can be accessed here.

In September 2023, National Right to Life released a second white paper regarding What the Media Missed in Its Coverage of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Regarding Mifepristone which addressed many of the issues that will be coming before the Court. That special report can be accessed here.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — Founded in 1968, National Right to Life, the nation’s oldest and largest pro-life organization with affiliates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, has been called the “flagship of the pro-life movement.”

Today, National Right to Life unveiled a new logo and an updated website.

“As we look forward, our new logo retains the elements that represent National Right to Life and our mission but leans into the future as we continue our work to protect all innocent human life from fertilization to natural death,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

The original National Right to Life logo, two circles and a flame, represented the organization for over 50 years. It has long been understood that the flame stood for life and the circles represented abortion and euthanasia.

The new logo, a single circle with a flame, retains the meaning of the original logo but has been refreshed for a new era.

“The new logo is streamlined,” stated Tobias. “The flame is the respect for life and our passion for our mission. The circle is the continuum of life. Together, these elements will take us forward into a new era.”

National Right to Life’s website has undergone a redesign as well. Constructed to help visitors find information and facts about the life issues easily and quickly, it can be found at www.nrlc.org.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, the National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON—Today, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit against Planned Parenthood for its alleged role in the abortion trafficking of minor girls.

The following is a statement from Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life:

We praise Attorney General Bailey for his dedication to protecting the minor daughters of Missouri. Parents shouldn’t have to fear that someone could violate the law and take their daughter over state lines to procure an abortion without their knowledge. Parents in Missouri should be able to rest easy knowing that the law protects their minor daughters from Big Abortion.

Missouri’s 2005 law protecting minor daughters prohibits anyone from causing, aiding, or assisting a minor in obtaining an abortion in violation of their parental consent law and is the first of its kind.

In 2023, Idaho passed HB 242 which prohibits an adult from procuring an abortion for a minor without the parent’s knowledge or consent by transporting the minor within the state. This was modeled on a portion of National Right to Life’s post-Dobbs model law to protect unborn children.

 Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, the National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— On Wednesday, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) filed a friend of the court brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the Biden administration’s mandate that federal law creates a right to abortion on demand throughout all fifty states in hospital emergency rooms. The brief supports Idaho’s pro-life law, Defense of Life Act.

“Biden’s abortion mandate has no basis in law. The federal law regulating emergency rooms was done to protect patients, not to create a right to abortion on demand,” said James Bopp, Jr., general counsel for NRLC and lead counsel on NRLC’s brief. “Biden’s abortion mandate guts the ability for states like Idaho to protect unborn life by mandating abortion on demand in emergency rooms. The High Court needs to reject Biden’s abortion mandate.” 

The Biden administration is trying to force all hospital emergency rooms to provide abortion on demand. Biden has used a federal emergency care law, which was meant to prevent patient dumping without stabilization, to mandate that hospitals must provide elective abortion services. The Ninth Circuit agreed that the Biden administration could compel all hospitals to perform abortions in their emergency rooms.

Idaho sued because Biden’s mandate overrides their state’s Defense of Life Act by forcing hospitals to provide abortion on demand, contrary to that state’s law. The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case and decide whether Biden’s abortion mandate is constitutional. This case will determine if states can enact protective laws without clashes with the federal emergency care law.

“The Biden Administration is using EMTALA as a cudgel to force pro-life states into providing abortions,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “This is just another example of how this administration is doing everything in its power to appease pro-abortion groups by promoting unlimited abortions.”

NRLC’s brief argues that Biden’s abortion mandate under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) is contrary to that federal law which was only meant to protect emergency room patients from being dumped and does not mandate that the hospital provide medical care that is contrary to state law.

The U.S. Supreme Court docket for Moyle and Idaho (Nos. 23-726 and 23-727) is available here, and the NRLC brief is available on the docket here.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, the National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON—Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today announced that he will step down from his role in leadership in November. The following is a statement from Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life:

We thank Senator Mitch McConnell for his pro-life leadership. His dedication to the right to life and his efforts to protect mothers and their unborn babies have been unwavering over the years.

Senator McConnell’s work on judicial appointments ensured that the judiciary remained an arbiter of the law and did not act as a legislative branch creating laws by judicial fiat. His role in ensuring the confirmation of solid, conservative judges and justices has been instrumental and his leadership, particularly on lifetime nominations to the courts, has cemented his place in history.

The pro-life movement will forever be grateful that his efforts led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON—National Right to Life (NRLC), the nation’s oldest and largest pro-life organization, announced its endorsement of Congresswoman Virginia Foxx for re-election in North Carolina’s Fifth Congressional District.

“National Right to Life is pleased to endorse Congresswoman Virginia Foxx for re-election. For nearly twenty years, Congresswoman Foxx has demonstrated resolute leadership in advancing the right-to-life cause in the U.S. Congress,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “If re-elected, Congresswoman Foxx will continue to be a voice for voiceless unborn children and for their mothers who may be struggling to find the support they need to make life-affirming decisions.”

In her almost two decades of service in the U.S. House of Representatives (January 2005-present), Virginia Foxx maintained a perfect NRLC legislative scorecard. In other words, on important votes in the U.S. House concerning right-to-life issues, Foxx voted in agreement with the NRLC position fully one hundred percent of the time.

Along with consistent majorities of Americans, Foxx opposes using tax dollars to pay for abortions. Foxx cosponsored and voted for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, a bill that would limit taxpayer funding for abortions on a government-wide basis with exceptions for when the life of the mother is at risk or in cases of rape, incest, or medical emergency.

Foxx has also voted in favor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, pro-life appropriations riders like the Hyde Amendment, and legislation to redirect federal funds from abortion providers to community health centers.

Foxx voted against the so-called Women’s Health Protection Act, an extreme pro-abortion bill pushed by the Biden Administration and pro-abortion Democrats that would enshrine unlimited abortion in federal law and eliminate virtually all existing protections for unborn children and their mothers, including state laws like those requiring that parents are informed before an abortion can be performed on their minor daughter.

“President Joe Biden, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and most members of their party are clamoring for federal legislation to allow unlimited abortions until birth, for any reason, nationwide. That is extreme! Voters can repudiate this radical pro-abortion agenda by electing and re-electing leaders like Virginia Foxx who are unafraid to stand up for vulnerable unborn babies and their mothers,” said Tobias. “In the next Congress, we look forward to continuing our work with Congresswoman Foxx to advance compassionate solutions that respect life and provide women and families with the support they deserve.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON— In recognition of his deep concern for the lives of vulnerable unborn babies and their mothers, and his exemplary pro-life voting record, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker received the endorsement of National Right to Life, the nation’s oldest and largest pro-life organization, as he seeks re-election in Mississippi.

“National Right to Life is pleased to endorse Roger Wicker for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Throughout his distinguished career in public service, Senator Wicker has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting unborn babies and their mothers,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Mississippians should vote to re-elect Senator Wicker so that he may continue to be a tireless champion for babies, moms, and families in the U.S. Senate.”

While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives (1995-2007) and the U.S. Senate (2007-present), Roger Wicker maintained a 100% voting scorecard with National Right to Life. Notably, Wicker voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, pro-life appropriations riders like the Hyde Amendment, and legislation to redirect federal funds from abortion providers to community health centers.

Along with consistent majorities of Americans, Wicker opposes using tax dollars to pay for abortions. Wicker was the lead sponsor and voted for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, a bill which would limit taxpayer funding for abortions on a government-wide basis with exceptions when the life of the mother is at risk or in cases of rape, incest, or medical emergency.

Wicker was the co-author of the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, first adopted in 1996, that prohibits federal funds from being used to support “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero.” In September 2020, Wicker led a group of nearly 100 pro-life legislators in urging the Trump Administration to end taxpayer funding for human embryo-destructive research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Wicker voted against the so-called Women’s Health Protection Act, an extreme pro-abortion bill pushed by the Biden Administration and pro-abortion Democrats that would enshrine unlimited abortion in federal law and eliminate virtually all existing protections for unborn children and their mothers, including state laws like those requiring that parents are informed before an abortion can be performed on their minor daughter.

“Senator Roger Wicker’s dedicated leadership is an invaluable asset to the pro-life movement in the U.S. Senate,” said Tobias. “In addition to re-electing Senator Wicker, we look forward to retaking the Senate majority and advancing compassionate solutions that respect life and provide women with the support they need to make a life-affirming decision about an unexpected pregnancy.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON – National Right to Life today released The State of Abortion in the United States, 2024. The eleventh annual edition summarizes key legislative developments on the state and federal level in the first year following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.

The report notes that the annual number of abortions was on the increase in the years leading up to Dobbs, largely due to a highly intensified promotion of the abortion pill. However, more recent numbers appear to show that as many as 89,000 preborn children have been saved since Dobbs due to new protective state laws.

In addition, the report contains an in-depth look at the ongoing extra-constitutional campaign to jam the long-expired Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) into the U.S. Constitution, and explains the sweeping impact that the ERA could have on abortion law—a potential impact once denied but now loudly proclaimed by prominent pro-abortion advocates.

“Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, the state of abortion in the United States has changed dramatically as many states have enacted laws to protect unborn children and their mothers from the tragedy of abortion,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life.

Key highlights from the report include:

• Abortion data through 2020 released by both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute show a rise in abortion with most abortions done using chemical abortion – a method that puts women at increased risk.

• Based on data from the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute, National Right to Life now estimates that 65,464,760 abortions have been performed in the United States since 1973. 

• In the months following Dobbs, several states moved to enact laws designed to provide maximum protections from abortion to unborn children and their mothers. However, according to the National Right to Life Department of State Legislation, as examined in the report, 26 states and the District of Columbia have guaranteed a right to abortion by court decision, constitutional amendment, or state legislative statute.

Tobias continued, “Pro-life education and legislative efforts are making an impact on our culture and in the lives of women facing unexpected pregnancies. But there is still much to do to help women and their preborn children.”

The report is available from the National Right to Life Communications Department here: https://www.nrlc.org/wp-content/uploads/StateofAbortion2024.pdf

National Right to Life experts, including President Carol Tobias; Director of Education and Research Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D.; Legislative Director Jennifer Popik, J.D.; and State Legislation Director Ingrid Duran are available to provide further information about the report and its insights. Call the NRLC Communications Department at (202) 626-8825 or email mediarelations@nrlc.org to arrange an interview. 

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life, the federation of right-to-life affiliates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, over 3,000 local chapters, and millions of grassroots supporters, announced its endorsement of President Donald J. Trump in the 2024 presidential race.

“National Right to Life is pleased to endorse Donald J. Trump for President. In his first term, President Trump demonstrated extraordinary leadership and delivered historic results on behalf of vulnerable unborn children and their mothers,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Thanks to President Trump, the American people and their elected representatives on the state and federal levels now have greater authority to determine abortion policy and pass meaningful protections for unborn children and their mothers.”

Throughout his time in office, President Trump championed policies designed to safeguard the lives of both unborn children and their mothers from unlimited abortions.

Along with a consistent majority of Americans, President Trump opposes using tax dollars to pay for abortions. In 2017, Trump issued a statement of support for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, a bill that would bar taxpayer funding for abortions on a government-wide basis with exceptions for when the life of the mother is at risk or in cases of rape, incest, or medical emergency.

As one of his first actions as president in 2017, President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy to halt the flow of American tax dollars to organizations that perform or promote abortions overseas. He later expanded this policy as the “Protecting Life in Global Health Policy” to prevent $9 billion in foreign aid from being used to fund the global abortion industry.

President Trump supports the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would ensure that an infant born alive during an abortion attempt is afforded the same degree of medical care as any other infant born at the same gestational age.

President Trump opposes the so-called Women’s Health Protection Act, also referred to as the “Abortion Without Limits Until Birth Act,” an extreme bill pushed by Democrats that would enshrine unlimited abortion in federal law and policies and tear down virtually all protections for unborn children and their mothers on the state level including laws requiring parental involvement before an abortion is performed on a minor.

President Trump is committed to filling judicial vacancies with qualified individuals who will interpret the Constitution based on its text and history, and otherwise leave policy questions in the hands of elected legislators.

In contrast, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have employed a relentless, whole-of-government approach in their efforts to bring unlimited abortion to every state. In a second term, Biden and Harris have made it no secret that they plan to institute a radical, nationwide policy that will allow unlimited abortions for any reason until birth and use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, even as a means of birth control.

“For years, President Trump has given a voice to many Americans who felt their concerns were not heard and their needs not met, including millions of Americans who want to see greater protections for unborn children and greater help for women and families facing unexpected pregnancies,” said Tobias. “We look forward to defeating the pro-abortion Biden-Harris ticket and working with President Trump to build an America that truly respects life at every stage.” 

A summary of President Trump’s record on the life issues is available here.

A summary of President Biden’s record on the life issues is available here. 

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON—In Wisconsin kicking off a White House tour to promote unlimited abortion, Vice President Kamala Harris pushed the extreme pro-abortion position of the Biden-Harris Administration and the Democratic Party.

“The Biden-Harris Administration supports a policy of unlimited abortion, meaning abortion anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstances,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris see the lives of precious preborn babies as expendable.”

Continued Tobias, “The vice president’s propaganda tour to promote unlimited abortion is just another way this administration shows its callous disregard for precious human life.”

The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized a radical abortion agenda: unlimited abortions for any reason, even as a method of family planning and even late in pregnancy—right up until birth—and using tax dollars to pay for it. This Administration has employed a whole-of-government approach to promoting abortion, using every lever of power at its disposal to make abortions more available and more common, with no thought of the innocent unborn children who would die.

“This administration continues to pour all of its efforts into promoting unlimited abortion, even late in pregnancy,” said Tobias. “The Biden-Harris White House is the most pro-abortion White House in American history.” 

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — The following statement can be attributed to Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life:

As thousands march today in support of the right to life, we enter the second full year following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs. Our work to protect those threatened by abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide from those who would devalue human life has never been more important. Pro-life Americans need to boldly proclaim the right to life and say, “Enough is enough” to the pro-abortion wish list put forward by pro-abortion groups, the pro-abortion strategies pushed by pro-abortion apologists and legislators, and the pro-abortion policies promoted by the pro-abortion Biden White House.

The pro-life movement has faced tremendous challenges but the right to life is more than an idea. Life is our most fundamental human right and, every day, dedicated heroes volunteer their time and talents to tirelessly meet the needs of mothers and their pre-born children. 

Now, more than ever, we must stand together for life.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, the Department of Health and Human Services rescinded, in part, a 2019 Trump-era rule that protected the conscience rights of healthcare workers. The Trump-era rule, if implemented, would have given healthcare workers the ability to seek meaningful recourse if they were forced to violate their ethical and religious beliefs.

If a healthcare provider refuses to participate in abortion or assisted suicide, the only recourse is to file a complaint with President Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services. The Biden rule change is likely to leave people more vulnerable to being forced to participate in procedures that violate their conscience.

The following is a statement from Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, regarding today’s actions:

President Biden is once again showing his allegiance to pro-abortion groups and their demands. His administration is willing to trample on the rights of millions of healthcare workers by changing a rule designed to protect them from having to perform abortions against their religious or ethical convictions. 

This administration has been more than willing to comply with the demands of pro-abortion groups and their allies. 

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will hear arguments this term regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s decisions in 2016 and 2021 to loosen regulations of the abortion drug mifepristone and whether the challengers have standing to bring their case.

“Today’s decision means the Court will hear about the dangers of the abortion drug combination,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “We hope that the justices will reconsider the approval of this dangerous drug or at least reinstate the long-standing safety protocols.”

“The Biden Administration has promoted unlimited abortion since Day 1,” said Tobias. “Bowing to pressure from pro-abortion groups, this administration has worked to make mifepristone widely available, regardless of the dangers to women and the deaths of preborn children.”

The consolidated cases the Court will hear are FDA, et al. v. Alliance Hippocratic Medicine, et al. and Danco Laboratories, L.L.C. v. Alliance Hippocratic Medicine, et al. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the government agency that tracks the nation’s abortions, approximately 56% of all abortions are done using chemical abortion methods like mifepristone and misoprostol.

Mifepristone is used in combination with misoprostol, a prostaglandin, to cause an abortion. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, leading to the death of the unborn baby, while the second drug, misoprostol, causes powerful, painful uterine contractions to expel the dead or dying baby.

The FDA recently weakened the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requirements for the drug combination to allow it to be dispensed and even mailed by pharmacies.

“When hundreds of thousands of women take these pills, even a couple of percentage points of women hemorrhaging, dealing with infections, or ectopic pregnancy, means thousands of women desperately seeking emergency treatment, which may or may not be nearby,” said Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of Education and Research for National Right to Life.

In April 2023, National Right to Life released a white paper Addressing Many of the Myths the Media is Repeating about the FDA’s Approval and Management of Mifeprex (Mifepristone) which can be accessed here.

In September 2023, National Right to Life released a second white paper regarding What the Media Missed in Its Coverage of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Regarding Mifepristone which addressed many of the issues that will be coming before the Court. That special report can be accessed here.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its annual “Abortion Surveillance Report” for the year 2021. The numbers showed an increase in abortions from the 2020 survey.

Relying on reports from health departments across the country, the CDC reported 625,978 abortions for 2021 compared to 620,327 abortions for 2020. While it is an indication of abortion trends, this figure does not provide a complete picture of abortion in the United States. California (the nation’s most populous state), Maryland, New Hampshire, and New Jersey (new to 2021) did not report abortion data to the CDC.

For context, it is important to remember that the numbers released on Wednesday are all from 2021, the year before the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June 2022 that reversed Roe v. Wade.

“During 2021, federal agencies, state, and local governments were just coming out of the pandemic and still concerned about COVID, but these numbers show us that the abortion industry simply plowed ahead promoting their deadly product, destroying more lives of unborn babies every day,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Clearly abortion groups care more about the bottom line than the lives and health of unborn babies or their mothers.”

In 2021, in the reporting areas included in the report, the CDC found an abortion rate of 11.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, which is an increase from 2020. The CDC found a ratio of 204 abortions per 1,000 live births, which is an increase from 2020.

“Nevertheless, the pro-life movement is encouraged that abortion numbers have been greatly reduced from a peak of 1.6 million in 1990 and still remain below one million,” said Tobias.

Tobias continued, “Even with the reversal of Roe v. Wade, this report shows us how entrenched the abortion industry is in this country. The pro-life movement recognizes that there is still much work to be done to protect innocent unborn babies and their mothers.”

Tragically, based on Wednesday’s report, the number of chemical abortions performed less than or at 9 weeks gestation has risen to 53%, and another 3% occur at greater than 9 weeks gestation for a total of 56%.

“This report continues to show us that the use of the chemical abortion method has clearly been on the rise,” said Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of Education and Research for National Right to Life. “Until women are told the truth about these painful and dangerous abortifacients, those numbers will probably continue to grow, particularly with the FDA’s recent relaxation of safety standards of the drug and the media’s and industry’s incessant sales campaign.”

Dr. O’Bannon continued, “Promoters of these pills claim high safety and satisfaction rates, but neglect to mention how painful and bloody these abortions are, and how often women taking these pills end up in emergency rooms hemorrhaging, dealing with infections, and undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy. Unscreened women getting these pills in the mail may find help hard to find when things begin to go wrong. More women, more babies will surely die.”

Sadly, the CDC also reported six deaths from legal abortion in 2020, the latest year numbers are available.

The full report from the CDC can be found here.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.