Missouri Senator Josh Hawley took a direct stand against both the pharmaceutical industry and the current administration’s pace on Wednesday, introducing federal legislation to pull the chemical abortion pill, mifepristone, off the U.S. market entirely.
The move comes as the Trump administration continues to delay a promised safety review of the drug, a stall that Hawley argues leaves the responsibility solely in the hands of lawmakers.
Speaking at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Hawley framed the issue as a matter of consumer protection and corporate accountability.
His bill proposes two major shifts: the immediate revocation of FDA approval for the drug and the creation of a legal pathway for women to sue manufacturers for damages. Hawley characterized the producers as “greedy foreign corporations” that prioritize billion-dollar profits over the physical and psychological well-being of American women.
The Senator’s push is supported by a 2025 study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which analyzed insurance data to find that approximately 10% of women using the pill experience a “serious adverse event.”
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During the announcement, several women shared personal accounts of the complications they faced. Elizabeth Gillette, who was later diagnosed with PTSD, described a harrowing experience involving massive blood loss and the unexpected sight of an embryonic sac. She noted that she was never warned about such potential outcomes before taking the medication.
This legislative effort highlights a growing rift between Congressional Republicans and the executive branch.
While the Trump administration had previously suggested it would reassess the drug’s safety, the Department of Justice recently filed a motion to pause or dismiss a lawsuit from Missouri that sought to reinstate strict regulations on the pill.
This shift has drawn sharp criticism from groups like SBA Pro-Life America. President Marjorie Dannenfelser stated during the conference that the movement has reached a “dead end” in trying to work with the current administration on the issue, prompting the pivot to direct legislative action.
If passed, the bill would effectively end the legal prescription of mifepristone in the United States. When asked how the law would handle medical professionals, Hawley clarified that doctors would no longer be able to prescribe the drug legally.
For plaintiffs like Rosalie Markezich—who shared her story of being coerced into taking the pill—the bill represents a chance to hold both the FDA and manufacturers like Danco accountable for what they describe as a lack of oversight and recourse.
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