Chairman Cassidy, Rep. Smith, Republican Colleagues Takes Action to Protect Women & Babies from Dangerous Abortion Drugs, Leads Amicus Brief

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), led 91 Republican lawmakers in filing another amicus brief in the Western District of Louisiana, supporting Louisiana's lawsuit to protect women and their unborn children from dangerous chemical abortion drugs. Cassidy previously led a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court arguing mifepristone's in-person dispensing requirement must be reinstated.

"In-person dispensing requirements for chemical abortion drugs saves babies and protects women from coercion," said Dr. Cassidy. "As a strong pro-life doctor, I will always defend the health and safety of mothers and unborn life. These commonsense safeguards must be reinstated immediately."

"The fight to protect women and unborn children from the dangers of mail-order baby poison pills continues," said Rep. Smith, the Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. "The Biden Administration's reckless removal of the in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone has been a blight upon the FDA for over three years now. We must reverse this pernicious policy, which continues to take and harm the lives of countless mothers and unborn babies."

Background:

In October 2025, Attorney General Murrill filed a lawsuit on behalf of the State of Louisiana and Rosalie Markezich, a victim of Democrats' harmful decision to remove the in-person dispensing requirement for dangerous chemical abortion drugs. Because of Biden's policy, Rosalie's boyfriend was able to order chemical abortion pills online from an abortionist in California and coerced her to take the drug to kill her unborn child.

The Republican lawmakers argue that Biden violated federal law by removing the in-person dispensing requirement, and that these protections should be reinstated. Additionally, the amicus brief supports Attorney General Murrill's motion for preliminary relief, asking for a preliminary injunction ordering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to suspend or withdraw the 2023 Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) while the case proceeds.

As the first physician to chair the HELP Committee, Cassidy is leading efforts to protect women and their unborn children from dangerous chemical abortions. This amicus brief is the third Cassidy has led this year arguing to restore safeguards against mifepristone. In January, Cassidy led a hearing in January with Attorney General Murrill on the dangers of chemical abortion drugs. He is also leading conservative Republicans calling on Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to fulfill his promise to complete a safety review of abortion drugs.

The brief is supported by U.S. Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Rand Paul, M.D. (R-KY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

The brief is also supported by U.S. Representatives Christopher Smith (R- NJ), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Mark Alford (R-MO), Rick Allen (R-GA), Brian Babin, D.D.S. (R-TX), Sheri Biggs (R-SC), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Mike Bost (R-IL), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Ben Cline (R-VA), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA), Jeff Crank (R-CO), Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Troy Downing (R-MT), Ron Estes (R-KS), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), Chuck Fleishmann (R-TN), Mike Flood (R-NE), Vince Fong (R-CA), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), C. Scott Franklin (R-FL), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Brandon Gill (R-TX), H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Michael Guest (R-MS), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Andy Harris, M.D. (R-MD), Mark Harris (R-NC), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Julia Letlow, Ph.D. (R-LA), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Addison McDowell (R-NC), John McGuire III (R-VA), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Mary E. Miller (R-IL), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Blake Moore (R-UT), Riley Moore (R-WV), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Robert Onder (R-MO), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Mike Rogers (R-AL), David Rouzer (R-NC), Chip Roy (R-TX), John Rutherford (R-FL), Keith Self (R-TX), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Michael Simpson (R-ID), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Matt Van Epps (R-TN), Randy Weber (R-TX), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Rudy Yakym III (R-IN).

Read the full amicus brief here.

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