The FDA’s approval of another generic abortion pill has ignited pushback from social conservatives, who say it represents a betrayal by an administration they consider pro-life allies.

The FDA’s approval of another generic abortion pill has ignited pushback from social conservatives, who say it represents a betrayal by an administration they consider pro-life allies.

Drug company Evita Solutions announced on its website last week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved a generic version of mifepristone, which Evita said can be used up to 70 days from the first day of a woman’s last menstrual cycle.

Mifepristone is the first drug in the two-step abortion pill regimen, blocking the hormone progesterone and causing the uterine lining to break down, which results in the death of the unborn baby. Misoprostol, taken next, induces contractions to expel the dead fetus.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called the FDA’s approval “shocking,” adding that the evidence “shows chemical abortion drugs are dangerous and even deadly for the mother” – “and of course 100% lethal to the child.”

Most abortions in the United States involve the abortion pill, which was first approved under the Clinton administration in 2000, although the Obama and Biden administrations dramatically loosened restrictions.

Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, labeled the FDA’s approval of the new generic drug “unacceptable.”

Gary Hollingsworth, interim president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, urged the FDA to reverse course.

“We affirm that life is a sacred gift, not a commodity to be regulated or discarded,” Hollingsworth said, according to Baptist Press. “In response, the ERLC is sending a letter to [Health and Human Services] and the FDA, urging them to take action with the ultimate goal of removing this dangerous, life-taking drug from the market for good.”

Kennedy responded to pro-life leaders by asserting the FDA’s approval was mandated by law. The FDA, he said, “only approved a second generic mifepristone tablet because federal law requires approval when an application proves the generic is identical to the brand-name drug.”

Earlier this year, a study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center found that the abortion pill is 22 times more dangerous than manufacturer data previously suggested. Researchers revealed that 10.93 percent of women who take mifepristone experience serious complications such as sepsis, infection, or hemorrhaging within 45 days.

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