The abortion pill, easily sold over the counter at the local drug store or shipped out by mail, causes traumatic adverse effects for the women who take it. Yet the federal government lauds the pill as safe. Pro-abortion advocates call it “safe as Tylenol,” despite overwhelming evidence showing otherwise.
As a dad of four and a grandpa of seven, fighting for Montana families is my top priority. This includes Montana’s mothers and the most vulnerable: babies in the womb. Sadly, the culture of life in America has degraded. The abortion pill (mifepristone) is today’s most common form of abortion, accounting for 63% of all abortions in the U.S. in 2023. There is evidence that proves mifepristone is not safe, with numerous women reporting experiences of hemorrhaging, sepsis and infection. But because of lies pushed by pro-abortion advocates, what was once looked at as taboo is now performed on demand at any cost, flaunted, and even deemed a triumphant advance of our society. By repeating these claims, the very people who claim to care about women’s health endanger the lives of countless women in Montana and throughout the country.
A new study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) assessed the health insurance claims of 865,727 mifepristone prescriptions from 2017-2023. The insurance claims showed that nearly 11% of women who used mifepristone experienced serious adverse effects. This is 22 times higher than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates. The data is a reflection of real-world insurance claims from real women who have used mifepristone. Clearly, the evidence shows this pill can have devastating impacts.
Unfortunately, the Lee Montana newspapers ignored these facts in a recent article (Sen. Daines cites ‘flawed’ abortion pill study during RFK Jr. hearing) and instead chose to use pro-abortion sources to denounce this evidence from EPPC as “flawed.” By doing so, they misrepresent the dangers of the abortion pill to thousands of Montana women.
Despite the undeniable evidence that there are significant medical risks surrounding mifepristone, the FDA during the Biden administration removed many of the safeguards and warnings. In 2000, the FDA required three in-person doctor appointments for mifepristone. Today none are required. Pills can be dispensed by mail and sold at drugstores like Walgreens and CVS without any medical oversight. Reducing the abortion pill drug to a simple drug store-accessible medicine presents a clear danger to women, which is why I am calling for the Trump administration to re-evaluate the safety of the abortion pill and reinstate safeguards surrounding its use. These deadly drugs should not be available over the counter or online without any doctor’s care. Ensuring the safety of women and the reliability of products approved by the FDA is something that all parties should agree on.
I am encouraged by President Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s promises to look into this issue and I’ll continue to work with the administration to protect women and fight for the most vulnerable in our society.
I am confident that with continued advocacy about the dangers of mifepristone coupled with the efforts of pro-life groups across Montana, we will once again return to a point where our culture respects the dignity in every life, born and unborn, and where abortion is unthinkable.
BY: Senator Steve Daines
