He Justice Department of the United States asked an appeals court on Monday to suspend the sentence of a federal judge in Texas that would prohibit a widely used abortion pill.
“The district court’s extraordinary and unprecedented order should be stayed pending appeal,” the department said in a court filing.
Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on Friday struck down the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the mifepristonewhich is used for more than half of the abortions performed annually in the United States.
“If enacted, that court’s ruling would frustrate the scientific judgment of the FDA and would seriously harm women,” the Justice Department said in its appeal.
This damage would be felt across the country, since mifepristone is legal for use in all states,” he said.
The Justice Department asked the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to stay Judge Kacsmaryk’s order pending a full appeal. It is considered likely that the case will end up reaching the Supreme Court.
