(Oregon Right to Life) – Oregon’s pro-abortion Democratic Governor Tina Kotek is increasing the state’s supply of the dangerous abortion pill mifepristone in anticipation of potential pro-life actions by the newly-elected Trump administration – actions that even pro-life advocates are doubtful the president-elect will take.
Kotek’s office made the announcement in a Monday press release, noting that the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) agreed to facilitate the updated agreement. In April, 2023, Kotek had worked with OHA and OHSU to stockpile a three-year supply of “emergency” mifepristone. Now, that cache has been increased and the expiration extended to September, 2028 – a few months before the next presidential election.
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“I believe in reproductive freedom and am committed to being a fierce advocate for every person’s access to safe reproductive health care services, no matter the national landscape,” Governor Kotek said in the press release, which spotlighted the fact that Kotek “has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that Oregonians have access to abortion services.”
Abortion is currently legal in Oregon, with no limits or restrictions, up to the moment of birth for any reason. But Kotek argued that “Oregon is not immune from federal attacks on our reproductive rights [sic],” adding that, “[i]n our state, patients will continue to access the medication they need and providers will deliver these critical services without fear or harassment.”
Oregon Right to Life Executive Director Lois Anderson criticized Kotek’s moves as “fear-mongering” in a Tuesday interview with KGW8, noting that President Elect Donald Trump has not given any indication he would limit access to the abortion pill – something that has earned him sharp disapproval among his pro-life base.
The Republican president elect has stated he would not back a federal abortion ban and evinced support for legal access to mifepristone after the U.S. Supreme Court this year rejected a case challenging the loosening of FDA regulations on the drug.
Today, chemical abortions prescribed through telehealth appointments have become the most common abortion method in the U.S., accounting for over 60% of abortions last year.
That rise in popularity comes in spite of the risks posed to the pregnant women who consume them.
A 2009 study from Finland found that chemical abortions were associated with an adverse reaction rate four times that of surgical abortions, including an increased risk of hemorrhage and incomplete abortion. And per the FDA, roughly 85% of women who take the abortion pill regimen report at least one adverse reaction. In 2022, two Georgia women died after taking the abortion pill when they suffered incomplete abortions (a known risk) and contracted sepsis.
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The Monday announcement from Kotek’s office comes just weeks after Trump won a decisive reelection victory in the November 5 General Election.
During his campaign, Trump earned the endorsement of major pro-life organizations as he ran against the radically pro-abortion Biden-Harris – and later Harris-Walz – tickets.
Trump and his vice presidential pick J.D. Vance presented a far more moderate position on abortion than their Democratic opponents, though Trump has noticeably distanced himself from the pro-life movement following a markedly pro-life first term.
Advocates for the unborn have been vocal about wanting Trump to commit to pro-life priorities in his second term, though many are skeptical that he will do so.
But as Kotek’s actions demonstrate, Democratic politicians and the abortion lobby are openly worried about the potential that Trump may indeed move to protect the unborn when he’s back in the White House.
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It remains to be seen how Trump will address pro-life priorities this time around. But as Oregon Right to Life has noted, his landslide victory at minimum paves the way for additional victories for the unborn at the state level, uninhibited by a radically pro-abortion presidential administration.
His reelection has also sent a resounding message to the pro-abortion lobby that the extreme positions espoused by proponents of unlimited abortion are truly radical and unpopular with the majority of Americans.
