The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has been at the forefront of historic cases in the past few years. Several controversial legal precedents have flowed from the court and become culturally and politically prominent.
One of the most controversial cases the high court faced was the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade last year. The court’s new precedent was highly criticized by abortion supporters and equally praised by those opposed to abortion. The case paved the way for a variety of state laws against abortion.
SCOTUS has agreed to take up a new case presented by the Biden administration seeking to maintain access to a widely used abortion pill. The case marks the first such case since the conservative majority sided against long-standing abortion law.
From CBS News:
Brought by a group of doctors and medical associations opposed to abortion rights, the outcome of the case could have far-reaching consequences by restricting how the drug mifepristone can be obtained, who can prescribe it and when it can be taken.
The high court intervened in the case during an earlier stage, leaving the availability of mifepristone unchanged until the justices render a final decision, which is expected by the end of June and would have a nationwide impact, even in states where abortion is legal.
The Food and Drug Administration in 2000 approved mifepristone and a generic version of the drug. This case has deeper legal nuances as the high court earlier turned away a separate appeal from the organizations asking the justices to decide the legality of the Food and Drug Administration’s approval.
More than 5 million women seeking to end a pregnancy have taken the drug since its approval by the FDA 23 years ago. More than half of abortions in the U.S. are medication abortions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The SCOTUS case follows a decision earlier this year by a U.S. District Judge in Texas that found plaintiffs challenging the FDA approval of mifepristone would likely prevail. CBS News reported that Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk blocked the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone and all subsequent actions from the agency that made it easier to obtain.
A series of legal challenges from the Biden administration ensued and the Texas case progressed through the courts and even up to the U.S. Supreme Court. SCOTUS placed on hold the entirety of Kacsmaryk’s decision.
The Biden administration wants to make abortion pills more readily available while numerous states have enacted laws that restrict abortions on various levels up to near-bans.
Key Takeaways:
- The Supreme Court just the stage for its next controversial legal decision.
- Biden team is begging the high court to overturn a lower court ruling.
- Nationwide rights for access to abortion treatment are at stake.
Source: CBS News
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