Supreme Court ruling on use of abortion pill could impact November elections

01/18/2024 / By Richard Brown

The much-anticipated Supreme Court ruling in an upcoming challenge to federal regulations regarding the abortion pill mifepristone is expected to affect voter turnout and the outcome of the upcoming elections in November.

Controversial regulations against the use of mifepristone were relaxed in 2016 and again in 2021. So-called “pro-choice” advocates argue that the existing system is secure, while pro-life opponents warn that expanded access to mifepristone exposes women to risks by neglecting safety measures against its liberal use.

These arguments boiled into the judiciary, and two cases – FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM) and Danco Laboratories LLC v. AHM – have made their way to the Supreme Court and revolve around the pivotal Food and Drug Administration decisions made in 2016 and 2021, when it opted to loosen prescription rules for the abortion pill and also allowed mail prescriptions without the need for an in-person physician visit.

Legal experts are predicting that the staunchly conservative Supreme Court’s decision could restrict the drug’s regulation, marking a consequential abortion-related case following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision which overturned Roe v. Wade. (Related: Abortions in the U.S. HAVE INCREASED since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.)

The aftermath of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision witnessed a surge in abortion pill orders in 2022. The political implications are substantial, with voters likely attributing the outcome to either Republicans or Democrats, depending on the court’s ruling.

The impending Supreme Court decision is poised to thrust the issue into the forefront of the 2024 elections. The probable ruling is expected in June, just five months before voters make crucial decisions regarding White House and Congressional leadership.

Republicans and Democrats alike preparing for impending Supreme Court decision

Both political parties are preparing for the impact of this case, particularly Democrats who have emphasized abortion rights in their 2024 agenda.

The mifepristone case is viewed as a potential motivator for voters, especially in battleground areas.

Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg sees it as a significant factor, stating that any decision affecting the availability of mifepristone could be akin to an earthquake in the political landscape, similar to how the overturning of Roe v. Wade affected Democratic voter turnout in the 2022 midterms.

“As long as women have to refight these fights over and over again, the more Democrats will have to fight with them,” claimed Democratic strategist Jennifer Holdsworth, who admitted to taking mifepristone in the past to induce a miscarriage. “And the more that conversation continues to be had, the more energized voters are going to be to come out and vote on that issue, specifically.”

“I don’t want Republicans or the United States Supreme Court telling me what conversation I can have with my doctor,” she added. “Republicans don’t seem to understand that.”

Meanwhile, Republicans and pro-life activists argue that the Supreme Court’s impending decision will not help Democrats even as the debate over abortion continues to cause obstacles for Republicans in elections.

“I think Democrats incorrectly think that this is going to inure their political benefit in 2024,” said Gregg Keller, a GOP strategist and former executive director for the Faith and Freedom Coalition. He expressed skepticism that the Supreme Court decision could end up firing up the Democrats’ base and other key voting blocs, and all it takes for Republicans to use the decision as a win is better communication with voters.

“I think that once … Americans find out more about exactly what they’re pushing for in this case, they’ll realize that it’s just a piece of the larger kind of … culturally radical views of the modern Democratic Party,” he said.

Learn more about abortion law in America at Abortions.news.

Watch this clip from MSNBC reporting on the criminalization of so-called “emergency abortions” in Idaho.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.