Commends HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary

WASHINGTON — National Right to Life today commended the Trump administration, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their commitment to ensuring that women are fully informed of the dangers associated with the abortion drug mifepristone.

During a Senate hearing today, Secretary Kennedy revealed troubling actions by the previous administration in handling safety data related to mifepristone. In response to questioning from Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Kennedy testified:

…We know that during the Biden administration, they actually twisted the data to bury one of the safety signals. It was a very high safety signal — around 11% — so we’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore.

“This is a stunning admission that confirms what we have long warned: the abortion industry and its allies—including those in the Biden Administration—pushed chemical abortions at the expense of women’s health and safety,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “We applaud the Trump administration, Secretary Kennedy, and Dr. Marty Makary for taking these safety concerns seriously and for their commitment to transparency and accountability.” 

Mifepristone, the first of two drugs used in chemical abortions, is designed to take the life of a preborn child. It has been linked to serious complications for the women taking the drug including hemorrhage, infection, and the need for surgical intervention. Recent studies indicate that emergency room visits related to chemical abortions have risen sharply as restrictions on its use were loosened under the Biden administration. For example, among the many pro-abortion policies the Biden administration implemented, it removed the in-person dispensing requirement and allowed mifepristone to be dispensed by brick-and-mortar pharmacies as well as mail order.

“Women deserve honesty, not buried data and manipulated reports,” added Tobias. “The acknowledgment of suppressed safety data underscores the urgent need to restore, at a minimum, commonsense protections surrounding the use of mifepristone. We are grateful for the renewed focus on women’s safety under this administration.”

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.