James Lankford

01/26/2023 | Press release | Archived content

Lankford, Hyde-Smith, Colleagues Stand for Life Against FDA’s Chemical Abortion Expansion

01.26.23

Lankford, Hyde-Smith, Colleagues Stand for Life Against FDA's Chemical Abortion Expansion

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and their colleagues to renew their legislative effort to fight actions taken by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to broaden the use of chemical abortion drugs by introducing the Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act. This measure would reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for abortion drugs, block their remote distribution by mail or through telemedicine, and improve reporting requirements for complications.

"We must stop the FDA from pushing more and more dangerous DIY chemical and mail-order abortion drugs that circumvent state laws that protect life," said Lankford. "One of my many prayers for our nation is that abortion becomes unthinkable because we recognize and respect the rights of each child. As our nation continues to grapple with the tragedy of abortion, we cannot allow this Administration to put even more lives in danger, as the FDA sacrifices the health and safety of women and the lives of unborn babies in the name of promoting abortion. I continue to stand firmly for life and for the protection of moms and their babies."

"The FDA continues to ignore federal law in its irresponsible kowtowing to the abortion industry. Its actions to expand the distribution of chemical abortions as widely as possible runs afoul of the law and puts women at risk of DIY abortion complications," Hyde-Smith said. "The Save Moms and Babies Act would reverse the FDA's reckless and illegal action, and at minimum restore the basic health and safety requirements for these dangerous abortion drugs-which should never have been approved," she said.

The SAVE Moms and Babies Act would prevent FDA approval of any new abortion drugs and prevent the further loosening of regulations of abortion drugs with previous FDA approval. In January, the FDA reiterated its decision to eliminate the in-person dispensing requirement for the chemical abortion drug mifepristone (in combination with misoprostol) and to allow retail and mail-order pharmacies to become certified to dispense abortion drugs.

The SAVE Moms and Babies Act is supported by SBA Pro-life America, Americans United for Life, CatholicVote, March for Life, National Right to Life, Heritage Action, Students for Life of America, Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council, Family Policy Alliance, and Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Lankford remains the leading pro-life voice in the Senate to stand up against the Biden Administration's obsession with abortion, especially after the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to return decisions about abortions to the people's elected representatives. This week, as he does every year, Lankford took to the Senate floor to share his full and unwavering support for life in our nation and to ask his fellow Senators a simple question: when does life begin? Additionally, after earlier this month, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released a memorandum claiming that abortion drugs can be mailed into states that prohibit abortions-directly violating existing law, Lankford sent a letter to the Department of Justice condemning the Biden Administration's willingness to jeopardize the health and safety of women to further the left's abortion-on-demand agenda.

Lankford has called out the Biden Administration for promoting abortions among unaccompanied minors, and he has called out the Department of Veterans Affairs for trying to go around federal and state laws and provide abortions.

A recent episode of Lankford's podcast, The Breakdown with James Lankford, was a conversation about the pro-abortion lobby spreading false rumors about miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and what that means for the future of women's health.

Lankford and Hyde-Smith were joined in introducing the bill by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Jim Risch (R-ID), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Hoeven (R-ND), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Lee (R-UT), John Barrasso, (R-WY), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Thune (R-SD), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Todd Young (R-IN), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

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