WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is cosponsoring legislation to defend Americans’ access to medication abortions where legal after the Supreme Court eliminated nearly a half century of precedent by overturning Roe v. Wade. The Protecting Access to Medication Abortion Act would codify current FDA guidelines so that women in states where the right to an abortion is still protected can access the medications through telehealth and certified pharmacies, including mail-order pharmacies. These protections would help ensure that more women are able to get the reproductive care they choose without any added burdens.

“After the Supreme Court majority rejected nearly fifty years of precedent in favor of their political and religious agenda, Congress must step up to protect reproductive healthcare in any way we can,” said Senator King. “This bill will support access to the safe abortion medications that give women across Maine and America the ability to control their personal reproductive health and lives. Codifying these current FDA regulations is a commonsense step to defend these rights from further political attacks while helping women in abortion-legal states avoid unnecessary obstacles or delays to getting the care they need. I wish this legislation was not necessary, but with abortion rights under siege across the nation, it is tragically and crucially important.”

“Throughout his career, Senator King has repeatedly stepped up to defend and advance access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health care services,” said George Hill, President of Maine Family Planning. “His support of the Protecting Access to Medication Abortion Act, a bill that would maintain access to mifepristone to patients without having to do an in-person visit is just the latest example of his commitment. The bill, and his support of it, couldn’t be more timely.”

Of the one in four American women who will have an abortion, over half will use medication abortion. In the 20 years since its approval, the evidence has shown that medication abortion can be prescribed to patients without an in-person appointment, is safe and effective for people to take in their own homes, and can be sent through the mail. The Protecting Access to Medication Abortion Act would defend access to medication abortion in states where the right to an abortion is still protected by protecting the current mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) so that women can always access medication abortion through telehealth and certified pharmacies, including mail-order pharmacies.

You can access a summary of the bill here.

Senator King has been a strong supporter of a woman’s right to reproductive healthcare. He opposed the Supreme Court’s recent overturning of Roe v. Wade calling it “a dangerous, blatantly political ruling that will rob millions of women the fundamental right to make decisions about their own health, safety, and lives.” Prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling, King voted to advance the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation which would codify the longstanding precedent of Roe v. Wade into federal law and protect the right to these vital healthcare decisions.