CONTACT: David Ellison, david.ellison@cp1.hctx.net, (281) 352-9724
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis’s Statement on Federal Court Ruling to Roll Back Medication Abortion Access
HARRIS COUNTY — Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis released the following statement after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to reinstate a medically unnecessary in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone.
The ruling rolls back nationwide access to mifepristone — a safe and effective medication used in more than 60 percent of abortions in the U.S. that has been FDA-approved for more than 25 years — by requiring patients to obtain the medication in-person and at clinics, and blocking its distribution through pharmacies and the mail:
“Yesterday, a federal court sided with anti-abortion extremists hellbent on stripping women of their freedom and autonomy, bringing us one step closer to their ultimate goal of a national abortion ban. This ruling further endangers women in Texas, where abortion is entirely banned and telehealth has been a lifeline.
"If this decision stands, it will force women who can’t afford to travel out of state for basic health care to manage miscarriages or carry pregnancies against their will. Women in Texas are already dying because state leaders have banned abortion, and Black women in Harris County face the highest pregnancy-related risks in the nation. This ruling is as dangerous as it is cruel.
"Zealots are coming for every last path to care. They love to talk about freedom — but there is nothing free about forcing someone to give birth.”
A longtime civil rights leader with more than four decades of public service, Commissioner Rodney Ellis represents Harris County Precinct One, a diverse, 365-square-mile region in the nation’s third-largest county. Under Commissioner Ellis’ leadership, the office champions purpose-driven public service to improve quality of life, build thriving communities, and advance opportunity, equity, and justice for all. Precinct One is home to more than 1.2 million residents, over 8,500 acres of greenspace, and major regional assets including the Texas Medical Center, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, leading sports and entertainment venues, several Fortune 500 headquarters, and all of Houston’s major institutions of higher learning. For more information, visit www.hcp1.net.