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[[ U.S. lawmakers have been reacting after the Supreme Court on Friday preserved women’s access to a pill long used for medically induced abortions while a lawsuit on the matter continues. The move blocked a lower court ruling that would have imposed restrictions on the use of the drug mifepristone. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.]
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptUS ABORTION PILL RULING (TV)
HEADLINE: Lawmakers React to Ruling That Upholds Access to Abortion Pills
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT:
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: REUTERS/ @THISWEEKABC / TWITTER/ AP/ THE FLORIDA CHANNEL
SCRIPT EDITORS: sv; caw
VIDEO SOURCE (S): REUTERS/ @THISWEEKABC / TWITTER/ AP/ THE FLORIDA CHANNEL
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:47
NOTE:
VID APPROVED BY: sv
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO)) [[ U.S. lawmakers have been reacting after the Supreme Court on Friday preserved women’s access to a pill long used for medically induced abortions while a lawsuit on the matter continues. The move blocked a lower court ruling that would have imposed restrictions on the use of the drug mifepristone. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.]]
((VAR, MIFEPRISTONE, UNKNOWN DATE/LOC, REUTERS))
((NARRATOR))
A medication approved nearly a quarter century ago by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, will remain on the market for now.
((VAR, SCOTUS, AP))
((VAR, MIFEPRISTONE, AP))
((NARRATOR))
The Supreme Court decision Friday rejected a lower court’s ruling in Texas concerning mifepristone, which in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, is used in more than half of all abortions in the country.
A lawsuit had been filed contending the FDA approval of mifepristone was flawed.
This follows the conservative-leaning Supreme Court’s ruling, nearly one year ago, overturning Roe versus Wade, thus eliminating a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion and sending the issue back to the states.
Some lawmakers have recently called for extreme punishment for those seeking the procedure.
[RADIO TRACK: Republican South Carolina Representative, Nancy Mace, tells ABC’s “This Week” some in her party are on the wrong side of this politically charged issue.]
((MACE ON ABC))
((BITE SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASHES FOR TIME))
((mandatory cg @THISWEEKABC / TWITTER))
((Rep. Nancy Mace, Republican))
“In my home state of South Carolina there was a small – very small – group of state legislators that filed a bill that would execute women who have abortions and gave more rights to rapists than women who’ve been raped. That is the wrong message heading in to ’24. We’re going to lose huge if we continue down this path of (extremism)… The vast majority of people want gestational limits… They want exceptions for rape and incest. They want women to have access to birth control.”
((STATE LEGISLATURE, TALLAHASSEE, FL, AP, 04/13))
((mandatory cg THE FLORIDA CHANNEL))
((NARRATOR))
With the Supreme Court having overturned the national right to have an abortion, state legislatures have gotten to work on the issue.
((DESANTIS NEWSER, LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL, AP, 04/13))
((mandatory cg THE FLORIDA CHANNEL))
((NARRATOR))
In Florida, under cover of night and following a vote at the statehouse, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill to ban abortions after six weeks.
((WHITMER SIGNING LEGISLATION, BIRMINGHAM, MI, AP, 04/05))
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, repealed a 1931 abortion ban, solidifying abortion rights in the state’s constitution.
And the Texas lower court’s ruling in this case comes amid slumping approval of the American judiciary, according to a recent Gallup poll.
[RADIO TRACK: Democratic Senator Mark Warner speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week”.]
((WARNER ON ABC))
((mandatory cg @THISWEEKABC / TWITTER))
((Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat))
“The judge’s decision in Texas, I think, was crazy. The notion that you would take a drug that has been used safely for more than two decades and somehow then take that away from availability? I frankly think this is an issue that women’s health care choices ought to be made by women, and the idea of this judge so radically intervening with a safe procedure? Frankly, not only about women’s health care choices, but it undermines the integrity of our FDA process, and I think the court got it right, but who knows where their ultimate decision will be.”
((VAR, BIDEN, AP))
((NARRATOR))
Abortion rights have again become a rallying cry for voters ahead of the 2024 election cycle.
President Joe Biden, who praised the Friday Supreme Court decision, has said he would further push for abortion rights to become law.
((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Washington D.C.
Embargo DateApril 23, 2023 12:37 EDT
Byline
((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
