(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Conservatives force abortion rights back into spotlight [1] ['Emily Singer', 'View Profile'] Date: 2026-05-04 A right-wing court thrust the issue of abortion rights back into focus on Friday, when it banned providers nationwide from using telehealth appointments to prescribe the abortion drug mifepristone and then ship patients the drug. This method is used in nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that mifepristone must be prescribed and dispensed in-person until a lawsuit filed by the state of Louisiana is resolved. Louisiana is seeking to ban the practice of using telehealth appointments to prescribe and mail mifepristone nationwide, saying that it allows abortion seekers in states like Louisiana with near-total abortion bans to circumvent those draconian laws. Attribution: AP An abortion-rights activist holds a box of mifepristone pills as demonstrators from both anti-abortion and abortion-rights groups rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington. The Fifth Circuit ruling means that for now, mifepristone must be prescribed and dispensed in-person all across the country—which will further curtail abortion access in the United States. It means abortion seekers in states with abortion bans will once again need to travel to clinics in states where the practice is legal. And that will likely overwhelm the few abortion providers that remain, which are already overloaded and overwhelmed thanks to the numerous states that have banned abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. “25% of abortion care happens via telehealth. This means that people across the country—even in states where abortion is legally or constitutionally protected—will experience unnecessary and burdensome hurdles in accessing care,” the group Reproductive Freedom for All wrote in a post on X. GenBioPro and Danco Laboratories, which manufacture mifepristone, filed a motion with the Supreme Court on Saturday, seeking to block the Fifth Circuit ruling and allow the drug to be prescribed virtually and mailed. “The Supreme Court must reject this unfounded and baseless attack on an essential medication,” GenBioPro CEO Evan Masingill told The New York Times, adding, “We remain concerned that anti-abortion special interests are attempting to undermine the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory authority. This is why we are bringing our fight to the Supreme Court.” Ultimately, this means that the issue of abortion will enter the midterm election fray, as voters are being reminded that abortion rights are still under attack by Republicans. It’s unclear whether the Supreme Court will reverse the Fifth Circuit decision, or allow the ban on mail-order abortion drugs to remain—which would once again remind voters that the Donald Trump-packed court took away abortion rights. Polls show Americans overwhelmingly support abortion rights, with 60% of Americans saying the practice should be legal in all or most cases, according to a Pew Research Center survey from March. And an Economist/YouGov poll from April found that just 33% of Americans approve of the way Trump is handling the issue of abortion. However, the issue faded in salience as other things like affordability and the Iran war have dominated the news. That same Economist/YouGov poll found just 4% of Americans saying that abortion is the most important issue for them heading into the midterms. But if the Supreme Court further curtails abortion rights, that percentage could rise, which would undoubtedly hurt Republicans across the country. The Supreme Court ruling in 2022 overturning Roe v. Wade helped Democrats defy midterm trends, with Democrats actually gaining Senate seats and limiting the number of seats Republicans picked up in the House. If the issue once again is at the forefront, Republicans will have yet more headwinds to contend with as they try to outrun the wildly unpopular Trump to try to hold onto power. Related | This year’s midterms will make 2018 look like child’s play Democrats are already tying Trump to the latest attack on abortion access. “The Fifth Circuit’s ruling is a direct result of Donald Trump’s war on reproductive rights,” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) wrote in a post on X. “By banning mail-order mifepristone, Louisiana is dictating rules on healthcare access for the entire country.” Editor’s note: After publication, the Supreme Court paused the Fifth Circuit ruling until May 11, allowing mail-order abortions to continue until then as it gives Louisiana time to argue its position. But at that point, the Supreme Court could ban mail-order abortion nationwide. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/4/800032813/health/conservatives-force-abortion-rights-back-into-spotlight/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/