Florida Senator Marco Rubio is warning that the abortion pill potentially harms the environment, and he joined other Republicans to ask if government research has been done on the environmental effects.
Democratic President Joe Biden’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deregulated mifepristone, allowing pregnant women to receive this chemical abortion drug by mail delivery, without an in-person doctor visit.
According to Senator Rubio and the other Republicans, the number of abortions using mifepristone has grown dramatically since then and the increased use and disposal of mifepristone may increase levels of harmful chemicals in our water system.
“Mifepristone is an orally ingested pill and the first of two drugs taken to induce a chemical abortion,” the Republican letter explained. “The drug blocks progesterone, a hormone necessary to support pregnancy, tragically killing the unborn child. A second drug is taken 24 to 48 hours later to induce contractions and expel the dead unborn child. Because chemical abortions are primarily self-induced and performed at home, the blood and placental tissue containing mifepristone’s active metabolites are flushed into wastewater systems along with the fetal remains of the unborn child.”
Senator Rubio joined Oklahoma Republican Representative Josh Brecheen and colleagues by sending a letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Michael Regan inquiring if the agency has conducted research on the environmental effects of mifepristone.
“Environmental protection efforts are necessary to counter the potential harm that chemical abortion drugs are creating for our people, wildlife, and ecosystems,” the Republicans wrote in the letter. “The American people deserve to know the negative effects caused by chemical abortion drugs.”
Given the increase in mifepristone use, the Republicans asked how the EPA plans to ensure the safety of waterways and drinking water, and asked about negative health effects for humans associated with exposure to mifepristone and fetal remains in drinking water. The members of Congress also asked how aquatic species are affected by exposure to mifepristone and fetal remains in our waterways.
Senator Rubio and Rep. Brecheen were joined by Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Representatives Matt Rosendale, Alex Mooney, Paul Gosar, Gus Bilirakis, Barry Moore, Debbie Lesko, Jeff Duncan, and Jim Banks.
Read the full letter from Florida Senator Marco Rubio and other congressional Republicans to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Michael Regan on the abortion pill and potential harm to the environment:
RubioRepublicans_abortionpillenvironmentletter
