Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is sounding the alarm over Attorney General Todd Blanche’s plans for abortion medication after he was recorded discussing the issue on a private call with faith leaders. On that call, Blanche said the Trump administration was working on policies to prevent organizations and states from using mail-order abortion drugs to circumvent abortion restrictions in other states.
Anti-abortion groups have also been pressing Blanche to reconsider the federal government’s interpretation of the Comstock Act, a 19th-century law that could potentially be used to restrict abortion medication through the mail. Blanche did not specifically invoke the Comstock Act during the call. Cortez Masto argues the remarks are part of a broader effort to restrict reproductive health care, including mifepristone and birth control. The FDA is separately conducting a safety review of mifepristone that was not expected to be completed until at least December.
