Minnesota's DFL delegation in Congress is backing the federal government in its attempt to overturn a Texas ruling on medication abortion.
They joined 50 senators and 190 members of the U.S. House in signing on to a friend of the court brief last week, which argued the ruling was unprecedented and will hurt women's reproductive health.
"Emergency relief from the order is necessary to mitigate the imminent harm facing members of the public, many of whom rely on the availability of mifepristone for reproductive care — and many more of whom rely on the integrity of FDA's drug approval process for continued access to life improving and lifesaving drugs," read the brief.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk stayed the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, which triggered the federal government's appeal. Last week, a federal appeals court partially blocked the Texas ruling pending the outcome of the lawsuit. That means mifepristone is still available in the U.S., but with limitations on how late in pregnancy it can be used and how the drug is administered to patients.
Democrats' brief said that "just as Dobbs upended abortion access and led to chaos following the decision, eliminating access to mifepristone will further narrow options for care."
