DOJ Asks Court to Dismiss States’ Lawsuit Challenging Abortion Pill Regulations

Government lawyers said the case should be dismissed because the states lack legal standing to pursue their claims.

The abortion drug Mifepristone, also known as RU486, is pictured in an abortion clinic in a file photo. Phil Walter/Getty Images

The Department of Justice on May 5 asked a district court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by three Republican-led states that sought to challenge federal rules allowing access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

Missouri, Idaho, and Kansas filed the lawsuit in October last year, accusing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of acting unlawfully by loosening restrictions on mifepristone, a medication used to end a pregnancy.