Press Statement  AG Campbell Issues Joint Statement Affirming Safety Of And Access To Mifepristone

Boston — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today co-led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in issuing a joint statement addressing concerns over a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of mifepristone. This review was referenced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Makary in response to a letter from Republican state attorneys general to the FDA calling for restrictions on or withdrawal of mifepristone from the market: 

“For more than 25 years, mifepristone has been used safely and effectively in the United States and globally. It is currently the most common method for early-term abortion care in the United States and is the standard of care for managing early miscarriage. The decision to reexamine access to this medication was made in response to a scientifically baseless letter and ignores decades of research that proves mifepristone is safe and effective. Medical decisions should be left between patients, their families, and their providers – and they should be guided by science, not political agendas. 

“As state attorneys general, we have a responsibility to enforce state laws and protect our residents, including their access to reproductive care. If access to mifepristone is challenged, we will take action to protect it.” 

This matter is AG Campbell’s latest effort to expand and protect access to reproductive care, address disparities in maternal health, and tackle misinformation that prevents access to care. Earlier this month, AG Campbell submitted a letter opposing the Department of Veterans Affairs’ proposed federal rule that would eliminate veterans’ and their families’ access to abortion care. In July, AG Campbell joined a coalition of 23 states in suing the Trump Administration over a provision to prevent Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and its member health centers from receiving federal Medicaid funding. In June, AG Campbell filed a multistate Citizen Petition urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to eliminate unnecessary restrictions on mifepristone. AG Campbell has also released updated “Know Your Rights” guidance about abortion care, the Shield Law, and contraception.  

Joining AG Campbell in issuing this statement, which she co-led with the attorneys general of New York and California, are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.