Montana Republican Senator Steve Daines has urged federal health authorities to launch an investigation into the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone, citing concerns raised in a contentious study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC). This study, led by a conservative think tank, suggests significant health risks associated with the medication, which is commonly used for abortions in the United States.
Mifepristone, when combined with misoprostol, accounts for the majority of abortions performed within the first ten weeks of pregnancy. In Montana, medication abortions represented a striking 84% of all recorded abortions in 2023, as reported by the Guttmacher Institute, a national reproductive rights advocacy group. The accessibility of these medications—prescribed without in-person consultations and delivered by mail—has been a focal point for anti-abortion advocates who seek to restrict access.
The EPPC claims that nearly 11% of patients taking mifepristone experienced severe complications, including sepsis and hemorrhaging, and argues that the drug is less effective than claimed. Critics, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have challenged the study’s validity, highlighting its questionable methodology and lack of transparency, as well as its absence from peer-reviewed journals. In contrast, a substantial body of research, exceeding 100 studies, supports the safe and effective use of these medications for pregnancy termination.
During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on September 4, 2025, Daines reiterated the findings from the EPPC report, accusing “pro-abortion advocates” of prioritizing their agenda over women’s health. He asserted, “For years, we’ve heard the misleading, and frankly very harmful, lie that’s being sold to women that this drug is, and I quote, ‘safe as Tylenol.’ These lies, sadly, have real-world consequences.”
Pressure has mounted on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reassess the safety of mifepristone, despite its approval since 2000. When Daines inquired about the status of the review, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. indicated that the process is “progressing and ongoing.” The senator also questioned whether Kennedy would support reinstating the requirement for in-person examinations before prescribing abortion medication, a practice allowed via telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kennedy responded, “I need to get back to you on that. I don’t know if the White House has yet taken a position on that.”
Advocates for reproductive rights argue that challenges to medication abortion are effectively disguised attempts to impose bans on abortion access. “Senator Steve Daines is willing to peddle lies and disinformation about abortion care because he is desperate to ban abortion nationwide, regardless of what the majority of Montanans want,” said Martha Fuller, CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana. She emphasized that in a rural state like Montana, where healthcare provider access is already limited, mifepristone is essential for many constituents.
Montana lawmakers have previously attempted to restrict access to medication abortion, but these measures have faced legal challenges. In 2021, a GOP-backed bill mandating in-person evaluations for mifepristone prescriptions, along with a 24-hour waiting period and a lengthy consent process, was struck down by the Montana Supreme Court as unconstitutional, infringing on privacy rights.
Following a successful ballot measure in 2024, where over 60% of Montana voters supported adding abortion protections based on fetal viability to the state constitution, it appears that federal action may be the only viable path for anti-abortion advocates.