Washington DC.- The US Supreme Court is likely to decide the fate of the abortion pill used in more than half of the nation’s abortions on Wednesday while an appeal progresses.
The High Court is considering an emergency request from the Biden Administration to uphold the drug’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after an appeals court said it would place limitations on the drug. , mifepristone.
Judge Samuel Alito had issued a stay in the case due at midnight, meaning the court is likely to act before then, though it could extend the deadline or not act at all.
Alito handles emergency matters that arise from a group of states, including Texas. His action put the litigation on ice while the Court considers emergency requests from the Department of Justice and pill maker Danco Laboratories to stay an April 7 preliminary injunction issued by US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas that would greatly limit measure the availability of mifepristone.
The Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, is expected to act by the deadline to grant or deny the requests or further pause litigation. Judges could also step down, allowing the restrictions to go ahead.
The Administration seeks to defend mifepristone in the face of increasing abortion bans and restrictions enacted by Republican-led states since the Court struck down the landmark Roe v. Wade of 1973 that had legalized the procedure throughout the country.
