Senator Josh Hawley Introduces Bill to Take Abortion Tablet Off the Market

Sen. Josh Hawley introduced legislation Tuesday to strip federal approval from the dangerous abortion drug mifepristone, which he described as “inherently dangerous” to women.

The abortion pill has killed millions of babies and injured tens of thousands of women.

The bill, titled the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, would prohibit the use of mifepristone, withdraw its approval by the Food and Drug Administration and classify distribution of the drug for abortion purposes as a violation of federal law. It builds on prior legislation Hawley introduced last year aimed at banning the drug and enabling lawsuits against its manufacturers.

Mifepristone, used in chemical abortions, accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute.

“The science is clear: The chemical abortion drug is inherently dangerous to women and prone to abuse. Yet major companies like Danco Laboratories are making billions off it,” Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement. “That’s why I am introducing new legislation to ban the use of mifepristone for abortion and empower women to sue its manufacturers. Congress must act now to protect the health and safety of women.”

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Hawley cited research from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) analyzing 865,727 insurance claims from 2017-2023, which found more than 1 in 10 women experience “infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious or life-threatening adverse event” following use of the drug.

The study also indicated side effects occur at rates 22 times higher than those listed on the FDA-approved label.

If enacted, the bill–which Representative Harshbarger, a pharmacist, plans to introduce this week in the House–would withdraw approval of mifepristone, removing it from the market and would provide a private right of action for women who have been harmed by the FDA’s negligence to sue for damages.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins commented on the bill:

“If the FDA will not properly regulate this dangerous drug, then Congress must act to protect women and unborn children from it. The Biden-era policy that enabled the abortion industry to adopt an “Amazon-style” model–shipping abortion drugs directly to doorsteps across America, even into states where unborn life is protected has contributed to a dramatic increase in the killing of unborn children following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, rather than the decrease many expected. I strongly support Senator Hawley’s efforts to uphold the rights of states, protect unborn children, and safeguard the health of mothers,” Perkins concluded.

Mary Szoch, FRC’s Director of the Center for Human Dignity also remarked:

“Mifepristone is unlike any other drug approved by the FDA. Instead of restoring and promoting health, mifepristone was approved to kill an innocent child. Moreover, the politically motivated process that resulted in the FDA’s approval of the drug failed to conduct sufficient testing to ensure the safety of those taking it. The results have been tragic. This drug leaves women alone and in pain as they face the devastating reality that what the abortionists promised was just a clump of cells is clearly their visibly recognizable dead unborn child. While enduring this trauma, women are tasked with assessing whether the excruciating pain and bleeding they are experiencing is normal or is the sign of a life-threatening emergency, and in fact, the most recent studies show that more than 10 percent of women who have used mifepristone experience a serious complication. The FDA must do better. The approval of this drug should be revoked.”

During the Biden administration, the agency revised rules to permit getting the abortion pill via telehealth without in-person visits – putting women’s lives and health at risk.

Hawley has previously urged FDA action on the drug.

In a letter to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, he wrote: “[D]uring your confirmation hearing, you pledged to me that you would ‘review the totality of the data and ongoing data’ to inform action on the drug. I urge you to follow this new data and take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone. The health and safety of American women depend on it.”

The introduction comes amid broader Republican efforts to address chemical abortions.

In February 2026, 60 Republicans — including 58 lawmakers — supported an amicus brief in a Louisiana lawsuit challenging Biden-era rules allowing mail-order dispensing of mifepristone. That lawsuit seeks to reinstate in-person dispensing requirements and other safeguards, citing risks to women and unborn children.

In a related context, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., stated in support of that effort: “Chemical abortion drugs kill innocent children and put mothers’ lives at risk. Safeguards protecting against coercion, such as the in-person dispensing requirement, must be reinstated immediately.”

Hawley’s bill reflects ongoing pro-life concerns that the drug poses significant health risks to women while ending the lives of unborn children, prompting calls for Congress to override what critics view as inadequate FDA oversight.