Sen. Marshall Questions Biden Officials after ER Visits Increase by 500% from Chemical Abortions

(Washington. D.C., April 26, 2022) – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. today questioned Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, about the Biden Administration’s efforts to reduce safety protocols for Chemical abortion drugs. You may click HERE or on the image below for video of Senator Marshall’s questioning. The Senator said in part,

“Last week, we received a letter from Commissioner Califf on FDA’s changes to mifepristone risk evaluation, mitigation strategies for medical termination of ending pregnancies up to 70 days of gestation. Chemical abortion increased Emergency Room visits by 500% from 2002 to 2015. As an OBGYN myself, certainly I was the doctor taking care of these complications – though I never would have ever considered prescribing this drug – our big concern is this is now going to be done over the phone through telemedicine. Based upon my clinical experiences, a women’s guessing of her gestational age is exactly that – a guess. Trying to make that determination, even physically by putting your hands on that woman’s uterus is off even a month or two. Really, without an ultrasound, I am very concerned about this drug being prescribed through telemedicine or over the phone. How can the FDA stand by it’s current policy knowing there is a direct correlation between ER visits and chemical abortions? Do you think it is safe to mail these drugs even to potentially underage women without going through proper protocols including ultrasounds?… I can only wish the people prescribing these drugs were in the ER taking care of these patients at midnight or two in the morning and seeing the complications from the drugs themselves and my guess is this will turn into a huge technology, financial gig for certain companies – they will set this up to be very profitable. Many many women are going to be harmed because of your decision.”

Background:

Last year, Senator Marshall introduced the Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act, which prevents labeling changes for already approved abortion drugs; prevents providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via telemedicine; and prevents the FDA from approving any new chemical abortion drugs.

More recently, he introduced the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act that would require abortion providers to conduct an ultrasound before performing an abortion.

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