This week, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) delivered remarks at the House Democratic Caucus leadership press conference to highlight Democrats’ commitment to fight abortion pill restrictions in recent court rulings as well as her bill, the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act, H.R. 2573, which reaffirms that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appropriately approved and regulates mifepristone, the abortion pill.  The press conference was led by Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu.  Remarks as delivered below: 

Good morning.

With the unprecedented order issued in the Northern District of Texas, my home state of Texas is once again at the epicenter of efforts to take away our freedom to make our own decisions about our bodies, our families, our futures and to deprive us of access to services, information, and care that enable us to do that.

The Fifth Circuit panel’s partial stay order of the Northern District order reinforces the dubious legal arguments in the lower court’s ruling and deeply flawed opinion, it undermines the FDA drug approval process, and limits access to mifepristone for too many Americans who need it.

Now we await an emergency ruling from the Supreme Court, where the Department of Justice has taken action to defend the FDA’s scientific judgment and to protect Americans’ access to mifepristone, and to safe and effective reproductive health care.

The Supreme Court made the right decision to stay the prior court’s ruling on Friday.  The lower court rulings jeopardize the health, dignity, and freedom of women and families across the country, in all 50 states.

And that’s why I am so glad to join my friend, Congressman Pat Ryan, in introducing the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act.

Since Mifepristone received FDA approval more than 20 years ago, women across America have used it for abortion care, including for miscarriage treatment, and it is used in more than half of all abortions in the states where abortion remains legal today.

It is critical that we do everything we can to preserve and protect the FDA’s authority to approve safe and effective medication in general, and this abortion medication in particular.  

The Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act expresses the Sense of Congress that medication abortion was appropriately approved, and is appropriately regulated by the FDA, and addresses the limitations reinstated by the court rulings requiring in-person dispensation of the medication. 

I want to thank Chair Aguilar and Vice Chair Lieu for highlighting this important issue and this legislation. 

And I am pleased to turn over the podium to Representative Ryan to tell you more about it.

To view her full speech during the press conference, click here. 

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher is a leader in the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and has led several efforts to protect access to abortion.  After a Texas Judge banned abortion medication across the country, she introduced the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act, H.R. 2573 with Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18) to reaffirm that the abortion pill was appropriately approved by the FDA. 

She is the lead House sponsor of a bill to protect the right to travel between states to obtain an abortion, the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, H.R. 782, which passed the House in the last Congress, and which she reintroduced this year.  She has also introduced legislation challenging the bounty system created in Texas Senate Bill 8.  Congresswoman Fletcher was an original cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, H.R. 12, which establishes a statutory federal right to abortion free from medically unnecessary restrictions.