Hawley Bill Banning Chemical Abortion Drug Gains Momentum

Hawley Bill Banning Chemical Abortion Drug Gains Momentum

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to his Republican colleagues in the Senate, urging them to join his new legislation to ban the chemical abortion drug mifepristone and empower women harmed by the drug to sue its manufacturers. The outreach comes after Senator Hawley's legislation gained 3 new cosponsors: Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.). Companion legislation sponsored by Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) has also picked up multiple cosponsors in the House.

Senator Hawley wrote, "I write regarding a grave threat to the health and safety of American women: the chemical abortion drug known as mifepristone. The evidence is now clear. Mifepristone is almost always fatal to the unborn child, but it is also significantly dangerous for women. The drug companies that make this drug know this, but continue to profit from the drug's nearly unregulated distribution, largely insulated from liability. Congress can no longer ignore these dangers."

He continued, "At a recent event on Capitol Hill, I invited women who took mifepristone to share their experiences. These women were pressured or coerced into taking the drug, often with repeated assurances that the drug was safe, that they would be able to resume their normal lives in a matter of days. The reality was far different. One woman spent a month in a medically induced coma. Another described bleeding uncontrollably with no one to help. They still suffer from the trauma to this day. But no woman who has suffered from this drug has any meaningful option to recover from the two drug companies who make it, mislead about its effects-and profit from it to the tune of billions of dollars. That should change."

Senator Hawley concluded, "I have introduced legislation to withdraw FDA approval of mifepristone for use in an abortion. My bill would also allow women harmed by mifepristone used for an abortion to sue the manufacturers for damages. Congress has the power-and the duty-to protect women from the dangers of chemical abortion and from the corporations who would exploit them. I hope that you will join me in this effort."

Read the bill text of the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act here.

This legislation is supported by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, Concerned Women for America, Live Action, Students for Life of America, Ethics and Public Policy Center, AAPLOG Action, March for Life Action, National Right to Life, Priests for Life, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Thomas More Society, Missouri Right to Life, Choose Life of Missouri, and Reach Reproductive Health. Read their statements of support here.

Watch the press conference here.

Read Senator Hawley's full letter here or below.

Dear Republican Colleagues:

I write regarding a grave threat to the health and safety of American women: the chemical abortion drug known as mifepristone. The evidence is now clear. Mifepristone is almost always fatal to the unborn child, but it is also significantly dangerous for women. The drug companies that make this drug know this, but continue to profit from the drug's nearly unregulated distribution, largely insulated from liability. Congress can no longer ignore these dangers.

Despite the abortion industry's claim, mifepristone is not safe. Studies show that fully 11 percent of women who take the drug experience a serious adverse health event, including sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging. That rate is at least 22 times higher than the adverse-event rate reported on the drug manufacturer's label. These facts demand scrutiny, not denial.

Left unaddressed, mifepristone will continue to expose increasing numbers of American women to severe risks. The Obama and Biden Administrations stripped away safety guardrails that once regulated use of the drug. Mifepristone can now be shipped through the mail with the click of a button. Today the drug accounts for 70 percent of abortions in the United States, and at least 7.5 million women in this country have taken it since it was approved in 2000. That means hundreds of thousands of women have suffered life-threatening conditions-and millions of babies have died.

At a recent event on Capitol Hill, I invited women who took mifepristone to share their experiences. These women were pressured or coerced into taking the drug, often with repeated assurances that the drug was safe, that they would be able to resume their normal lives in a matter of days. The reality was far different. One woman spent a month in a medically induced coma. Another described bleeding uncontrollably with no one to help. They still suffer from the trauma to this day. But no woman who has suffered from this drug has any meaningful option to recover from the two drug companies who make it, mislead about its effects-and profit from it to the tune of billions of dollars. That should change.

I have introduced legislation to withdraw FDA approval of mifepristone for use in an abortion. My bill would also allow women harmed by mifepristone used for an abortion to sue the manufacturers for damages. Congress has the power-and the duty-to protect women from the dangers of chemical abortion and from the corporations who would exploit them.

I hope that you will join me in this effort. Current cosponsors include Senators Cornyn, Blackburn, and Budd. If you or your staff have questions or would like to cosponsor this legislation, please contact my Legislative Director.

Sincerely,
Josh Hawley

Issues