Amidst Fluctuating Legal Landscape, NIRH Action Fund Praises Governor Hochul for Robust Response to Medication Abortion Accessibility Threats

Following a Federal Court in Texas Ruling Against the FDA’s Approval of Mifepristone, Governor Hochul Has Announced Her Plan for an Additional $20 Million in Funding for the Reproductive Healthcare Infrastructure and the Stockpiling of Abortion Pill Misoprostol 

The National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund (NIRH Action Fund) Praises Governor Hochul and Urges Continued Focus on Reducing Abortion Barriers – Especially for Medicaid Patients and Those Needing Funding and Practical Support – as New York State Budget Negotiations Continue

NEW YORK, NY – Today, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced her plan to stockpile the medication abortion pill Misoprostol as well as to dedicate an additional $20 million to shore up the statewide infrastructure for reproductive healthcare providers if the Federal Court in Texas’ ruling against the FDA’s approval of the medication abortion drug Mifepristone stands. In her announcement address, Governor Hochul also re-emphasized her commitment to increasing the state’s Medicaid reimbursement rates in the state budget, which would expand the accessibility of abortion for patients with this insurance coverage, along with other measures to improve the availability of abortion care. 

This robust response comes on the heels of two dueling federal court rulings on FDA’s approval of one of the two drugs used in the most common method of medication abortion, Mifepristone, which put the accessibility of this safe, effective medication in jeopardy for the millions of Americans who rely upon it for abortion care. Stockpiling Misoprostol, which has also been proven to be a safe and effective method used alone for medication abortion, has the potential to help protect access in New York State. At the same time, this move needs to be coupled with additional efforts in New York State to reduce barriers to care in the state budget and beyond, such as directing new resources to reproductive health care infrastructure, including abortion funds and practical support organizations that help those needing abortions to navigate financial and logistical barriers, especially for those who need to travel for this care. Across the country, state and local governments must continue to safeguard reproductive freedom and financially step up and innovate to mitigate the harm of abortion bans and create new pathways for just and equitable access, as they have been doing in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade last June. NIRH and NIRH Action Fund remain committed to working with elected officials in New York and our partners across the country to advance new initiatives that expand access to abortion care.

Following Governor Hochul’s announcement, NIRH Action Fund released the below statement: 

“We applaud Governor Hochul for her robust response to last Friday’s dueling Federal Court decisions. This is an incredibly confusing and stressful time for those seeking and providing abortion care, and New York State must do everything in its power to support, safeguard, and expand access to this critical option. Governor Hochul has taken a bold step today to safeguard accessibility of the medication abortion option, misoprostol, while also committing to shore up our statewide infrastructure for reproductive healthcare. We also salute the Governor’s commitment to ensuring that abortion care will be reimbursed sufficiently under Medicaid through the state budget, increasing access for those with some of the least access to affordable care. We also call on budget negotiators in the executive and the legislature to include funding for abortion funds and practical support organizations through the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program – an additional essential step toward just and equitable access to abortion care, which becomes even more needed with medication abortion under siege. In this uncertain time for reproductive care, we continue to call on state and local governments across the country to address increased barriers for those most marginalized so that everyone has access to the abortion care they need, on their own terms, and in their own community.”

If you’re interested in speaking with Andrea Miller, President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) and the NIRH Action Fund, who has over 30 years of experience in the reproductive rights and access space and was instrumental in the movement to bring emergency contraception over the counter, about the impact stockpiling abortion medications could have on access and last week’s decisions impacts cities and states across the country, please reach out to Susannah Berlowe Binder at [email protected].  

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NIRH & NIRH ACTION FUND:

The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) and the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund (NIRH Action Fund) are advocacy groups that fight to protect and advance access to just and equitable reproductive healthcare and build political power for reproductive freedom. We do this by working hand-in-hand with reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations in states and cities across the country to build coalitions, launch campaigns, change policy, and elect candidates who stand up for everyone’s right to control their reproductive lives. For more than four decades, our strategy has been to go on the offensive to pass laws that safeguard reproductive freedom. We work in the communities where change is needed, so the fabric of reproductive freedom becomes harder to tear apart.