Abortion opponents praised Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday, after he promised A Senate audience To implement the “position” that President Trump assumes on the regulation of abortion pills, if confirmed as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Kennedy’s promise occurs when conservatives have intensified the Trump administration to force the food and medicines administration to delay the decisions that relieved restrictions on the abortion pill Mifepristonealso known as Mifeprex.
If it is confirmed as head of the department that supervises the FDA, Kennedy would have a wide authority on how pills are regulated, among a series of powers that HHS has to affect access to abortion throughout the country.
“Today, we received clear signs that the Prolife movement can work with RFK Junior. Recognizing that each abortion is a tragedy left my team applauding,” said John Mize, head of the American conservative group America United For Life, in a statement.
The Mize group directed a “coalition of leading organizations leaders” before the audience who called the The Trump administration will intensify the restrictions on the abortion pill or take it out of the US market completely, ending access to the medication abortion option, even in the states where abortion is legal.
“President Trump has asked me to study the safety of the mifristone. He has not yet taken a position on how of Senate finance.
Kennedy also told the committee that the president “had made it clear that he wants me to look at the security problems, and I will ask NIH and the FDA to do that.”
The Democrats in the Senate Panel expressed alarm about Kennedy’s apparent opening to restrict the mifepristone.
“Women deserve to know if Mr. Kennedy will abuse his power as director of health of our country to essentially implement a national prohibition of the Committee.
After the audience, a spokesman for Susan B. Anthony Pro
“We were encouraged by the questions formulated and the answers given,” said Kelsey Pritchard, director of Group’s Political Communications, in an email.
Not all conservative organizations were persuaded by Kennedy’s responses at the audience. The group that advances the American freedom, backed by former vice president Mike Pence, He doubled On Wednesday in the calls to the senators to reject the nomination of Kennedy.
“The American people deserve an HHS secretary with a firm commitment to protect life, which does not fall or promote erroneous information related to health,” the group saying In X.
Democrats also pointed to Kennedy record of expressing support for abortion, including a previous statement that supported abortion to the full term.
“You have clearly declared in the past that body autonomy is one of your central values. The question is, does that value defend or not? When did you decide to sell the values in which you have had your whole life? The order to receive the Power of President Trump, “New Hampshire Democratic Senator, Maggie Hassan, asked Kennedy at the audience.
Kennedy said several times during the hearing that he now agrees “with President Trump that each abortion is a tragedy” and serves “to the president’s pleasure.”
“President Trump has told me that he wants to finish abortions at the end of time. And that he wants to protect consciousness exemptions and wants to end federal abortions here or abroad,” he said.
Other HHS authorities about abortion
Beyond the regulation of the FDA on Mifepristone, it would depend on Kennedy to sign other changes required by the conservatives around the abortion policy, including the limits on how the money is used under the call Title X financing For family planning clinics.
He pledged to the hearing to “support President Trump’s policies on Title X”.
According to Trump’s first administration, the rules collected by HHS in Title X result In the deviation of Planned Parenthood of the financing program, denouncing the rules as a “gag order” to suppliers that refer patients to abortion services.
Another important way in which the department has exercised its authority in the past on abortion has been through the Law of Medical Treatment and Emergency Work, or Emtala.
The Biden administration He used the law To demand the states with prohibited abortion prohibitions, saying that the laws were blocking doctors to offer care to stabilize pregnant patients in emergencies.
Kennedy said Wednesday that he didn’t know he had that authority.
“It will enforce the laws of Emtala. And it is important that you understand its impact and do not play political with the patient who appears in the emergency room based on a position that this administration has taken,” said Senator Cortez-Masteo, a Democrat of Nevada, at the audience.
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