Press Releases

Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus, issued the following statement on the unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision today which denied the attempt to restrict reproductive health care for Californians and families across the United States by limiting access to mifepristone.

“This unanimous ruling is a win for women who could have seen their reproductive care options severely limited by far-right extremists trying to erode their rights. Mifepristone is safe and effective – and today’s unanimous decision, while limited in scope, ensures it remains legal.

“I urged the courts to reject this attack on women’s health care, and I will never stop fighting for reproductive freedom and access to reproductive care, including emergency abortions, for all people in California and across our nation.”

Rep. Carbajal and more than 250 other Congressional Democrats submitted amicus briefs over the course of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, urging both the Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to reject a district court decision that threatened access to the drug deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration more than 20 years ago.

The FDA approved the use of mifepristone in 2000, and it has been used by over 5 million people since to safely end their pregnancies. A regimen using mifepristone followed by misoprostol remains the gold standard for medication abortion care and can be administered safely and effectively both at home and in health care facilities.

In 2021, over half of abortions in the U.S. were medication abortions using the mifepristone/misoprostol regimen.

Mifepristone has a well-documented safety record demonstrated by real world experiences, more than 100 research publications in peer-reviewed journals, and a rigorous 54-month review period prior to its initial FDA approval. It is also recognized as safe and effective by leading medical and scientific organizations.