Trump Administration Asks Court to Dismiss Abortion Pill Case - The New York Times


AI Summary Hide AI Generated Summary

Key Actions

The Trump administration filed a motion asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging mifepristone access. This aligns with the Biden administration's stance, despite Trump's past anti-abortion rhetoric.

Core Argument

The Justice Department's filing argues that the lawsuit's venue is inappropriate, without addressing the case's merits. They assert the states' claims lack connection to the Northern District of Texas, where the case was filed by the conservative attorneys general of Missouri, Idaho, and Kansas.

Notable Details

  • The judge, Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, is a Trump appointee known for his anti-abortion views.
  • This case seeks to reverse FDA regulatory changes that expanded mifepristone access.
  • The Trump administration's position is unexpected given his previous pro-life actions and appointments.
Sign in to unlock more AI features Sign in with Google

The Trump administration asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to sharply restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone — taking the same position as the Biden administration in a closely watched case that has major implications for abortion access.

The court filing by the Justice Department is striking, given that President Trump and a number of officials in his administration have forcefully opposed abortion rights. Mr. Trump often boasts that he appointed three of the Supreme Court justices who voted in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed the national right to abortion. And so far in his second term, his administration has taken steps to curtail programs that support reproductive health.

The filing is the first time the Trump administration has weighed in on the lawsuit, which seeks to reverse numerous regulatory changes that the Food and Drug Administration made over the past decade that greatly expanded access to mifepristone.

The Trump administration’s request makes no mention of the merits of the case, which have not yet been considered by the courts. Rather, echoing the argument that the Biden administration made shortly before Mr. Trump took office, the court filing asserts that the case does not meet the legal standard to be heard in the federal district court in which it was filed.

The case was filed by the conservative attorneys general of three states — Missouri, Idaho, and Kansas — before Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, a Trump appointee who strongly opposes abortion.

“The states do not dispute that their claims have no connection to the Northern District of Texas,” the Justice Department lawyers wrote in the filing.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Was this article displayed correctly? Not happy with what you see?

Tabs Reminder: Tabs piling up in your browser? Set a reminder for them, close them and get notified at the right time.

Try our Chrome extension today!


Share this article with your
friends and colleagues.
Earn points from views and
referrals who sign up.
Learn more

Facebook

Save articles to reading lists
and access them on any device


Share this article with your
friends and colleagues.
Earn points from views and
referrals who sign up.
Learn more

Facebook

Save articles to reading lists
and access them on any device