A group of fifty pro-life leaders issued a letter on Thursday, urging Dr. Heidi Overton, the nominee for FDA Commissioner, to eliminate the Biden administration’s mail-order abortion program.
This letter was delivered just before Overton’s Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee confirmation hearing. The leaders called for an end to the unrestricted distribution of abortion pills across the U.S., which they attribute to the Biden FDA’s deregulation of mifepristone.
“Advocates for women and the unborn have been waiting for the termination of the Biden-era abortion by mail initiative, which undermines the Dobbs decision. The time has come for the Trump FDA to act,” stated Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council.
In 2021, the pro-abortion Biden administration temporarily lifted the requirement for in-person dispensing of mifepristone, and made this change permanent in 2023, in response to the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. This mail-order approach has allowed abortion providers in liberal states to send abortion medications to states with more restrictive, pro-life laws. Supportive “shield laws” in these liberal states protect abortion providers from legal consequences in more conservative states, leading to reports of men fraudulently acquiring abortion pills online and pressuring women into taking them.
“We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, urge FDA Commissioner nominee Dr. Heidi Overton to commit to reinstating the safeguards for mifepristone that were in place prior to the Biden administration while the FDA continues its review of the drug,” the letter stated.
They added, “Dr. Overton’s confirmation hearing is a significant opportunity for her to clarify her plans regarding the FDA’s lenient policy on mifepristone.”
Notably, the leaders referenced a report from April 2025 indicating that 11 percent of women experience serious complications, such as sepsis and hemorrhaging, within 45 days of a chemical abortion—a rate much higher than the under 0.5 percent reported during clinical trials on the FDA-approved drug label.
“Furthermore, the current policy increases the risk of abuse, particularly by men attempting to coerce women into abortions without their consent or knowledge,” they noted. “By allowing mifepristone to be accessed without an in-person medical consultation, the existing FDA guidelines hinder the screening of vulnerable women in the presence of possible abusers.”
The letter continues: “Moreover, mail-order abortions are undermining state laws meant to protect the unborn and women. Despite new pro-life legislation enacted in around 20 states since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion rates nationwide are still on the rise. The Biden administration’s removal of the in-person dispensing requirement and the allowance for pharmacies to provide the drug have led to abortions being facilitated across state lines.”
Research from the Charlotte Lozier Institute was cited, which suggests that shield laws are allowing about 14,770 abortions in pro-life states each month. This implies that roughly 177,240 lives could be saved annually in these states if existing laws were duly followed.
“State efforts to protect life are being undermined by the influx of abortion medications from outside their borders,” the letter argued. “The FDA plays a crucial role in this process since it oversees the approval and regulation of mifepristone, the most commonly used drug for abortion.”
Despite claims that the FDA is conducting an ongoing evaluation of mifepristone, the letter emphasized that this review has reportedly been underway for nearly two years.
They pressed their demand: “The question here is simple: Will Dr. Overton agree to revert to the standards that existed before the Biden administration, which offered at least minimal safeguards and medical oversight for women until the review is finalized?”
The authors also pointed out, “All of this is occurring under President Trump, even with significant progress in the pro-life movement, notably the overturning of Roe v. Wade.”
They concluded by stating, “The Trump FDA is still adhering to a Biden-era policy that permits mifepristone to be mailed without a physical exam, without proper testing, and without adequate screening processes for vulnerable women.”
In closing, they called on Dr. Heidi Overton and the Trump administration to promptly reinstate effective safeguards for mifepristone during the FDA’s ongoing review, and to halt the policies allowing uncontrolled distribution of abortion drugs through the mail.
Notable signatories of the letter include Tony Perkins, Lila Rose, Tim Chapman, Kristan Hawkins, Aaron Baer, several leaders of state-level pro-life and conservative organizations, and prominent faith figures.
Overton serves as a domestic policy official in the Trump White House and has a background in preventive medicine. Prior to her current position, she was chief policy officer at America First Policy Institute, where she lauded the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and advocated for restoring the FDA’s in-person requirement for mifepristone.
If confirmed, she will take over the role previously held by Marty Makary, who resigned in May.
