SCOTUS Justice Alito halts limits on abortion pill access, blocking lower court rulings

Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito on Friday blocked lower court rulings that curtailed access to mifepristone while the court weighs a request from the Biden administration to defend the drug in court.

The administration hopes to defend the drug's approval in court in the face of a legal challenge from anti-abortion groups that had brought the initial suit, Reuters reported. Alito's order asks both sides to submit arguments by Tuesday on whether the limits from the appeals court should take effect, pending litigation, the Associated Press reported.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in early April determined that the Food and Drug Administration did not properly review safety concerns associated with the drug when it approved it in 2000.

The 5th Circuit maintained access to the drug, but imposed limits on its distribution, after which the Department of Justice appealed to the Supreme Court.

Mifepristone is one of two drugs one must take in an abortion cocktail by which women may terminate their pregnancies via pill. Kacsmaryk's ruling would have effectively ended access to the most common method of abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

The other drug, Misoprostol, remains available by traditional prescription as well.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.