[ST. PAUL, MN] – Today, Governor Tim Walz joined governors from across the country in filing an amicus curiae brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case of Food and Drug Administration, et al., v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine , arguing that a decision upholding a recent Fifth Circuit decision would undermine Minnesota’s ability to provide adequate healthcare services and would have far-reaching implications beyond reproductive healthcare.

“Health care decisions should be guided by science and expertise, not politics. Minnesotans deserve access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care services so they can make the best decisions for their own health after consulting qualified medical professionals,” said Governor Walz. “Women in this country deserve the best care possible. This case represents a grave threat to that fundamental right.”

Mifepristone is a safe, highly effective, and widely used medication prescribed for medication abortions and miscarriage management – used in well over half of all abortions. This medication is a critical component of the reproductive healthcare system in states where abortion remains legal. Any rollback on access to mifepristone would cause major disruptions to state healthcare systems, further strain providers, and pose serious health risks to millions of women. Ideological extremists shouldn’t be allowed to overrule medical experts and decades of scientific evidence by curtailing access to safe, effective medication.

This lawsuit threatens to upend the federal FDA review process – a time-tested gold standard for rigor and risk mitigation – that Governors rely on to protect the health and well-being of their constituents. If the Court allows this decision to stand, there will be severe consequences for patient access to a wide range of safe and effective medications.

The brief argues:

“...[Governors] rely on the expertise of FDA to determine the safety and effectiveness of drugs and medical devices, including particular indications and conditions for use…Nothing about this framework contemplates a single out-of-state litigant who morally disapproves of a particular drug using out-of-state federal courts to invalidate FDA’s expert judgment nationwide…This strategy, if successful, would have an enormously disruptive impact on state governance and hamstring Governors’ ability to fulfill their mandate of protecting public health and safety—in the reproductive healthcare context and beyond.”

A link to the full amicus brief can be found here .