Was the SCOTUS Abortion Pill Decision Right or Wrong?

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously decided to dismiss a lawsuit intended to restrict access to the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone.

For Context: Mifepristone, a drug approved by the FDA in 2000 for abortions, has been a hotly debated issue, especially as drug-induced abortions have increased. Justices unanimously found that the plaintiffs had not suffered any harm or wrongdoing themselves, and consequently had no grounds for any legal claim.

Key Quotes: Editors from National Review (Right bias) say the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has “bent the rules” while “playing bureaucratic games to evade judicial review.” A writer from the Los Angeles Times (Lean Left bias) on the other hand, says lower courts should have dismissed the issue, “but the staunchly conservative judges on those courts, out of their desire to restrict abortions, ignored basic rules about who can sue in federal court.”

How the Media Covered It: Writers across the spectrum weighed in on the issue. Many on the left tended to elevate the decision of the justices, concluding that the case should have never made it to federal courts to begin with. Others highlighted that, although the drug is safe for now, a Trump presidency in 2024 could change that reality. Those on the right focused more on “judicially unresolved” issues concerning the legality of the FDA’s actions. They say the court must do better at being consistent, citing a 2020 decision by the court that allowed pro-choice doctors to represent the interests of patients.