Trump-Appointed Judge in Texas Allows Idaho, Kansas, Missouri to Challenge Mifepristone Access, Targeting FDA Updates

Jan 17, 2025, 12:30 AM

A federal judge in Texas has ruled that three Republican-led states, Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri, can proceed with their lawsuit challenging the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone nationwide. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee based in Amarillo, Texas, allowed the states to continue their case against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in his court, despite the original plaintiffs, anti-abortion groups and doctors, having dropped their case after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled they lacked standing. The states are seeking to undo FDA updates from 2016 that have eased access to mifepristone, including allowing its use up to the first 10 weeks of pregnancy instead of 7 weeks, and permitting telehealth prescriptions. They also want to require three in-person doctor visits to obtain the drug. The ruling comes days before the Trump administration is set to take over the defense of federal agencies and laws, which could impact the litigation's direction.