New Legislation Provides Funding Without Restrictions on Abortion Pills

According to The Hill, the House Republicans’ agriculture funding bill no longer includes a provision to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

The bill was publicly released by the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee on Monday. Last year, a similar effort failed due to disagreements within the party on the issue, as noted by The Hill.

The absence of the provision in the bill is a departure from GOP lawmakers’ previous attempts to nullify a Biden administration rule that allowed mifepristone to be purchased in pharmacies and sent by mail as part of their fiscal 2024 agricultural funding plan.

According to The Hill, Republicans faced opposition from moderates in passing the previous bill, and with the November elections approaching, abortion continues to be a significant issue for some voters.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in May found that Americans are divided on the requirement for women to see a doctor in person before receiving abortion pills. Republican respondents were more in favor of the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone compared to Democrats, as reported by Reuters.

The newly released bill allocates funding for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, with a proposed total discretionary funding of over $25 billion for fiscal 2025, lower than current levels, according to The Hill.

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., who chaired the subcommittee responsible for the plan, highlighted that the bill focuses on addressing the nutrition needs of SNAP participants by introducing a pilot program that restricts unhealthy food options.