(CNSNews.com) - House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) told “CNN This Morning” on Thursday the Republican Party’s push to block use of the abortion drug mifepristone is part of a broader agenda of enacting “a national abortion ban.”
The Supreme Court extended until Friday a decision on the matter.
“You know, we're gonna watch what the Supreme Court does, but let's talk about what's at stake with this opinion we anticipate coming down. First, this is part of the extreme GOP’s dangerous March to a national abortion ban. Already in this country we see 20 million women have been denied care in states that have banned abortion, just recently, a six weeks ban coming out of Florida,” Clark said.
“What does this mean? It means that women who are the victims of rape and incest are being forced into parenthood. Women are being put in– their lives put in peril by being told they can't have miscarriage care until they run a fever and have sepsis set in,” the congresswoman said.
“This is a real impact when we see government overreach into women's lives, and the other thing about this opinion, it's just what you mentioned - 23 years of safe and effective use, and this judge ideologically-based has put science aside and threatened not only this drug, but every single drug that has been approved by the FDA,” she said.
When asked what the Democrats can do if the Supreme Court upholds a lower court ruling and the FDA pulls the abortion drug, Clark said, “What we can do is take back the House, keep the Senate and the White House, because this is so fundamental.
“We are going to energize and mobilize and the American people are with us, because this is what they understand. When the government is coming in. Politicians are making decisions for your family that should be between you, your family members, your doctor and your faith, that is not freedom and that is what is going to be on the ballot in 2024,” she said.
“We've seen the American people respond. When we had abortion bans, they lost in places like Kansas and Montana. We recently had a supreme court election in the state of Wisconsin. Abortion is understood by the American people as fundamental health care and as fundamental freedom and equality,” the congresswoman added.
Clark said the Democrats are going to use every tool and option that they have.
When asked what those tools are, the congresswoman said, “We can look at putting people on record here in Congress, bringing, forcing these votes on the floor to make sure that we are putting everyone on record on where they stand on making women second-class citizens in this country.
“We have tools that we can use, even in the minority in the House, but let's be clear. This president understands that abortion is fundamental health care, and we are going to use every tool that they have to protect this fundamental right,” she said.
When asked what she means about going back to the FDA, and whether she wants the FDA to ignore the Supreme Court’s decision, Clark said, “This isn't about ignoring it, but one option is to have the FDA go through the process again for this drug.
“I don't know if that will be an option that we choose but It is a tool before us, and we have to look at everything we can do to make sure that we protect this right. This is about who we're going to be as a country. Are we really going to roll back a right that has been here for 50 years?” the congresswoman said.
“You have seen the American people want us to fight for them. They want their voices heard in Capitol Hill. That's exactly what we're going to do,” she said.