Americans United for Separation of Church and State President and CEO Rachel Laser issued the following statement about today’s oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a challenge to the FDA approval of mifepristone:
“Religious extremists today have gained traction in their quest to force all of us to live by their narrow beliefs. Overturning Roe was just a start; now they are attempting to overturn a federal agency’s approval of mifepristone, a safe and effective drug used in medication abortions and miscarriage management.
Mifepristone case features a who’s who of Christian Nationalist groups
“This mifepristone case features a who’s who of Christian Nationalist groups that are part of a well-funded and politically connected shadow network that is working to undermine church-state separation and our democracy. Alliance Defending Freedom brought the case. First Liberty Institute is the former employer of the federal district judge who ruled against mifepristone access in the case, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. A slew of anti-abortion organizations filed briefs supporting the ban, from Family Research Council to American Center for Law and Justice to Advancing American Freedom.
“If America is to make good on its promise of religious freedom, each of us must be free to make our own decisions about our own bodies based on our own beliefs. That’s why we need a national recommitment to the separation of church and state. It’s the shield that protects freedom without favor and equality without exception for all of us.”
AU joined amicus brief supporting mifepristone access
Americans United joined nearly 240 reproductive rights, civil rights, religious and other social justice organizations in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to protect access to mifepristone. The brief stresses that more than 20 years of evidence supports the FDA’s conclusion that medication abortion with mifepristone is safe and effective. The groups assert that the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ unprecedented decision to severely restrict access to mifepristone imperils the health and safety of millions of people.
“Abortion is a fundamental right that is essential to our health, equality and freedom,” Laser added. “Mifepristone plays a key role in ensuring equal access to abortion, especially for those who face excessive barriers to health care. The Fifth Circuit’s unconscionable decision to severely restrict access to mifepristone despite the FDA’s approval ignores long-established science, sound medical guidance and FDA expertise – in order to advance the agenda of religious extremists seeking to ban all abortions and force all of us to live by their narrow beliefs.”
More information about the case is available here.
Americans United is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
Press Contact
Liz Hayes
Associate Vice President of Communications
[email protected]
