Science and privacy over politics

I chaired the first-ever Congressional hearing on the abortion medication, mifepristone. I started leading the charge to help get this medication onto the market.

I can't believe that all these years later, we are still having to fight the same battle again against Republicans that want to rip away access to this mainstay of reproductive health care.

Last week, anti-freedom forces scored an unfortunate victory when a federal appeals court (stacked with Republican-appointed judges) blocked people's ability to receive mifepristone by mail.

The extremists propelling this case forward relied on a dangerous practice known as "judge shopping," when activist plaintiffs guarantee their case will be heard by judges they know will rule in their favor. Thus, they're able to interfere with the private health care decisions of Americans even in states where abortion remains legal, like Oregon.

The Supreme Court has temporarily stayed the appeal court's decision, but it will eventually issue a broader ruling — and based on their recent actions, there's little reason for optimism. Moreover, the case should never have gotten this far to begin with.

This case is about one thing and one thing only: Republicans' perverse obsession with controlling women's bodies and our most private health care decisions. This should be about science and privacy, not politics.

We need to restore abortion rights protections across the country, and we need to fix our judiciary so that extremists can't game the system.

There's a lot of work ahead of us, and noneof it will get done without a Senate majority. That's why I need your help to flip the chamber in November. Will you join me and chip in today?

Winning this year is just the first step — but it's a step we must take.

Ron