California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to a Texas federal court ruling that struck down the FDA's approval of mifepristone by stockpiling 2 million pills of misoprostol, another abortion drug. Newsom said that with this measure, "Medication abortion remains legal in California" and assured that he will never give in to "extremists."
NEW: Yet another extremist judge is stripping women of their freedom --this time by blocking access to a pill that provides safe medication abortions.
CA will not stand idly by. We have secured up to 2 million pills of Misoprostol, a safe and effective medication abortion drug.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 10, 2023
Newsom harshly criticizes Judge Kacsmaryk
The Governor's Office released the move in a statement, sharply criticizing Amarillo, Texas, District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk .
In response to this extremist ban on a medication abortion drug, our state has secured a stockpile of an alternative medication abortion drug to ensure that Californians continue to have access to safe reproductive health treatments. We will not cave to extremists who are trying to outlaw these critical abortion services. Medication abortion remains legal in California.
Increased pain for patients
Pharmaceutical abortion is the most commonly used in the United States, and is usually performed using a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol. Faced with the risk that the Texas judge's ruling would be enforced, or the Supreme Court would uphold it, Newsom rushed to stockpile the second pill. The statement insists that misoprostol alone can safely terminate a pregnancy, as accredited by the World Health Organization. However, physicians acknowledge that this is a slightly less effective option and causes greater pain to patients.
California has been one of the most critical states of Kacsmaryk's sentencing since it went public. In a social media post on April 8, the Governor's Office criticized the fact that "an extremist judge" who, "pursuing a political agenda, ignores facts, science and the law," puts "the health of millions of women and girls at risk." Faced with this, "Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California and we won't stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away."
Today’s ruling to pull back the 20-year FDA approval of Mifepristone by Federal Judge Kacsmaryk threatens access to abortion care across the country.
Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California and we won’t stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away. pic.twitter.com/ZdAsQLYhhX
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) April 7, 2023
