NEW: 5th Circuit Grants Sept. Hearing in Mail-Order Abortion Drug Case as Groups Urge Blanche to Settle
For Immediate Release: June 26, 2026
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Washington, D.C. – In a win for pro-life states and abortion drug coercion survivors, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted plaintiffs’ request for an expedited hearing in Louisiana v. FDA. The appeal is scheduled to be heard on September 9.
This week 83 state and national pro-life groups, led by SBA Pro-life America, sent a letter to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche urging the Department of Justice to resolve the Louisiana v. FDA lawsuit by agreeing to a court-ordered consent decree that would get abortion drugs out of the mail immediately while the FDA completes a prompt, rigorous safety review. The letter highlights abortion drug coercion survivor Rosalie Markezich’s testimony stating, “If mail-order abortion wasn’t a thing, I’m 100% sure I would have my child.” SBA Pro-Life America has documented numerous cases of abortion drug coercion and violence across the nation.
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser commented:
“The latest big legal win against the illegal mail-order abortion drug regime is another sign pro-life, pro-woman plaintiffs have a strong case. The harms to women and children and to state sovereignty from mail-order abortion drugs are real and ongoing. A devastating new report finds blue-state ‘shield laws’ enabled the shipping of more than 330,000 abortion drugs into states with pro-life protections since mid-2023, while monthly shipments nearly tripled—all with no in-person medical evaluation required. An estimated 15,000 babies a month are killed in pro-life states alone, and there is no telling how many of these drugs end up stockpiled by abusers and traffickers and used to poison women without their knowledge or consent. This was always the abortion industry’s plan to nullify life-saving protections after Dobbs, but thanks to federal inaction it is working better than they even dreamed.
“It’s time to stop warring with pro-life states, women and children, and the GOP’s pro-life base. Again we urge Acting Attorney General Blanche to settle the case with Louisiana, so the FDA can restore in-person dispensing immediately while finishing its safety review. While a thorough safety profile of mifepristone is necessary, it cannot replace common sense or justify delay in getting these dangerous drugs out of the mail right away.”
Blanche is scheduled to appear for a confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 15 for consideration of his nomination by President Trump to serve as attorney general. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), a member of the committee, has also called on Blanche to settle the case.
Polling shows 7 in 10 voters support in-person dispensing, with one third of Republican primary voters less enthusiastic to vote and volunteer if the party abandons pro-life policies.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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