Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the 'Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act' on March 11, 2026, legislation that would direct the Food and Drug Administration to revoke its approval of mifepristone, ban its use for terminating pregnancies, and create a legal cause of action for women to sue the drug's manufacturer, Danco Laboratories. Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) introduced companion legislation in the House on the same day. The bill's introduction and its core provisions are confirmed by Fox News, NPR's Kansas City affiliate KCUR, the Guttmacher Institute, and congressional records.

Mifepristone, used in combination with misoprostol as a two-drug medication abortion regimen, was used in approximately 63% of all abortions in the United States in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute — making it the most common method of abortion in the country. The drug has been FDA-approved since 2000 and is used in more than 60 countries. In 2024, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a previous legal challenge to FDA's mifepristone approval on standing grounds, leaving the FDA's approval intact.

Hawley said the bill addressed what he described as the FDA's deregulation of mifepristone, which he said enabled roughly 500 mail-order abortions per day in states with abortion restrictions. He cited an adverse-event study as evidence of the drug's danger. Restoration of America Foundation CEO Doug Truax spoke at Hawley's press conference in support. A House companion bill was introduced simultaneously by Rep. Harshbarger.

Fox News described mifepristone as 'inherently dangerous' in its headline, presenting Hawley's framing without qualification. KCUR, an NPR affiliate, reported that 'advocates and health providers said that reams of real-life data show the pill is safe and that claims it's dangerous are politically motivated and not rooted in evidence.' Both outlets confirmed the bill's introduction and the 63% figure; the disagreement centers entirely on whether the drug is safe.