Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
NPR Washington Desk, NPR

Justices seem skeptical of challenge to restrict access to abortion pill

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building at dusk on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16, 2022.
Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building at dusk on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16, 2022.
Patrick Semansky/AP

A majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court appeared skeptical Tuesday of arguments that a medical group challenging the FDA's regulatory actions making abortion pills more accessible had standing to bring suit.

Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar said the plaintiffs, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, do not come "within 100 miles of the kinds of circumstances" needed to show standing.

Justice Elena Kagan, appointed by President Obama, asked Erin Hawley, the lawyer for the anti-abortion group, who was injured by the pill. "You need a person," she said." Who's your person?"

Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, described the case as "a prime example of turning what could be a small lawsuit into a nationwide legislative assembly on an FDA rule or any other federal government action."

At issue in the case is more than abortion rights. It's the entire structure of the FDA's regulatory power to approve drugs and continually evaluate their safety—a system that until now has been widely viewed as the gold standard for both safety and innovation.

This story will be updated.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.