Forty Baptist leaders from 22 states have sent a letter to President Trump, urging him to take immediate action against the mail-order distribution of the abortion drug mifepristone. The letter was led by Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, and signed by leaders from the Southern Baptist Convention.
The signatories argue that current federal policy, continued from the Biden administration, allows abortion drugs to be dispensed without in-person consultations with medical professionals. They claim this practice puts women’s health at risk and violates the Comstock Act. According to the letter, these drugs are being distributed by mail even into states that have enacted pro-life laws after the Dobbs decision. The leaders contend that this federal policy is undermining state-level pro-life legislation.
In their message to President Trump, the Baptist leaders wrote:
“As spiritual overseers and pro-life leaders, we are deeply grateful for your unwavering defense of the unborn during your first term–particularly your leadership in overturning Roe v. Wade, reinstating and expanding the Mexico City Policy, and now defunding Planned Parenthood, and reversing the Biden/Harris administration’s abuse of the FACE Act.
“Today, we respectfully urge your immediate action to stop the mail-order distribution of the abortion drug mifepristone, which now accounts for more than 60% of all U.S. abortions. Enabled by the previous administration’s rollback of FDA safety protocols, this dangerous drug has caused serious adverse events in nearly 11% of users and poses grave risks to women–especially when dispensed without in-person screening or ultrasound evaluation.
“While the number of abortions briefly declined following the Dobbs decision, overall abortion rates have since increased, driven largely by the previous administration’s lax policies on mifepristone and the expansion of mail-order access, which remain in place. Shield laws in pro-abortion states now protect providers who illegally ship mifepristone into pro-life states, in direct violation of federal law and the spirit of Dobbs. The case of abortionist Margaret Carpenter–who shipped abortion pills into Louisiana and Texas–illustrates this growing threat. Yet governors like New York’s Kathy Hochul refuse extradition and enact new laws to further shield violators.
“We respectfully request that you: 1.) Restore and strengthen FDA safety protocols for mifepristone, including an ultrasound requirement; 2.) Direct the FDA to reevaluate the drug’s approval; and 3.) Instruct the Department of Justice to enforce the Comstock Act, to protect states’ rights to uphold pro-life laws.
“Women, unborn children, and the rule of law urgently need your leadership,” concluded the letter.
The full text of their letter is available online.
