Hawley says "the science is clear" that the abortion drug is dangerous as he introduces a national ban
Josh HawleyUnited States Senator for Missouri, in an official press release announcing his own legislation
Announcing the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, Senator Josh Hawley said the scientific evidence establishes that mifepristone is inherently dangerous to women and open to abuse. His bill would withdraw the drug's federal approval for pregnancy termination, make its distribution and labeling for that purpose violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and allow women who say chemical abortion harmed them to sue its manufacturers.
“The science is clear: the chemical abortion drug is inherently dangerous to women and prone to abuse.”
Official statement
Original text
Other statements by Josh Hawley in this case
- Hawley rejects the idea that the timing of his mifepristone ban is about the midtermsLater: Defended or excused
- Hawley unveils the "Declaration for Life" and asks candidates to commit to banning the abortion drugLater: Defended or excused
- Hawley urges FDA action on abortion-drug availabilityLater: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Should Congress ban the abortion pill, mifepristone, as Josh Hawley has proposed?
On March 11, 2026, Senator Josh Hawley introduced the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, which would withdraw the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone for pregnancy termination, make distributing and labeling the drug for that purpose violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and let women who say chemical abortion harmed them sue its manufacturers. Mifepristone has been approved in the United States since 2000 and is used in a large majority of American abortions. Hawley argues a national ban is the only remedy because the drug can be mailed into states whose own laws restrict abortion. The bill drew seven Republican cosponsors but has not moved out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. On September 16, 2026, Hawley unveiled a four-page "Declaration for Life" and began asking officeholders and candidates to sign it as a commitment to ban the drug. The dispute is over whether Congress should enact that ban.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Hawley's own announcement of the bill, issued alongside a Capitol Hill press conference with anti-abortion movement leaders. It states the bill's three operative provisions and carries the quotation on which his safety claim rests.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Original text
About this source
The bill at issue in this case. It would withdraw the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone for pregnancy termination, make distributing and labeling the drug for that purpose violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and create a private right of action for women who say chemical abortion harmed them to sue manufacturers. Legislative status and the cosponsor roster were verified against the GovTrack published record (bill 428713) on September 18, 2026, because congress.gov blocked access: seven Republican cosponsors, none withdrawn, the most recent joining June 23, 2026, and no action beyond committee referral. The identical House companion is H.R. 7902, introduced by Rep. Diana Harshbarger on March 12, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Hawley had spent the previous year pressing the Food and Drug Administration to review mifepristone's safety and had grown frustrated with the pace of that review. He announced the bill at a Capitol Hill press conference alongside anti-abortion movement leaders.
After the quotation
The safety claim rests on a 2025 Ethics and Public Policy Center paper that was not peer reviewed and was criticised by more than 250 reproductive health researchers. The bill was referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where it has not moved.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
As the bill's author he advances that proposition directly, grounding it in an asserted safety finding. The closest competing label is “Challenged the characterization”, because the statement is framed as a factual correction to the FDA's assessment of the drug. That loses because the sentence is not confined to disputing a description: it is the stated justification for legislation he simultaneously introduced to enact the ban, which is a substantive endorsement of the conduct under scrutiny rather than a quarrel about labels.
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More from this case
Read the full caseGenBioPro declines to comment on Hawley's bill to ban mifepristone
GenBioPro
“At this time, the company prefers not to comment.”Read statement
Tony Perkins says the Republican Party has "lost its voice" on abortion and credits Hawley with filling the vacuum
“Unfortunately the Republican Party has lost its voice on the life issue and in that vacuum there are leaders that are stepping forward like Sen. Hawley calling upon the church, communities and the country to step up on behalf of the unborn.”Read statement
USCCB pro-life committee urges Congress to pass the mifepristone ban bill
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
“In withdrawing FDA approval of mifepristone for abortion, prohibiting its being labeled for abortion, and ensuring a private right of action against manufacturers, the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, would likely save lives by curtailing the incidence of chemical abortion itself and all of its associated risks to the mothers as well. We are very grateful for your leadership in addressing this serious moral issue, and we urge your colleagues in both the House and Senate to support and pass this bill.”Read statement
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- Hawley says "the science is clear" that the abortion drug is dangerous as he introduces a national ban
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The Dispute Index. "Hawley says "the science is clear" that the abortion drug is dangerous as he introduces a national ban". First published: 2026-09-18. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1028-announcing-the-safeguarding-women-from-chemical-abortion-act