The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it will hear a case involving the Biden administration's attempt to maintain access to the abortion pill, mifepristone. This marks the first abortion dispute that the conservative-majority court will hear since overturning Roe v. Wade last year. The case, brought by a group of doctors and medical associations opposed to abortion rights, could have significant consequences for the availability of mifepristone. It could impact who can prescribe the drug, how it can be obtained, and when it can be taken.

The fight over mifepristone began with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) efforts to expand access to the drug in recent years. In 2016, the FDA extended the timeframe for taking mifepristone from seven weeks to ten weeks into a pregnancy. They also reduced the number of required in-person visits from three to one and expanded the range of healthcare providers who can prescribe and dispense the drug. In 2021, the FDA removed the in-person dispensing requirement, allowing patients to receive mifepristone through the mail. Since its approval by the FDA 23 years ago, over 5 million women have used mifepristone to terminate their pregnancies.

In November 2022, a group led by the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine filed a lawsuit challenging the FDA's approval of mifepristone and its subsequent changes. In April, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk issued a preliminary order blocking the FDA's 2000 approval and subsequent actions that made it easier to obtain mifepristone. This decision was followed by a series of rulings from lower courts, culminating in the Supreme Court's intervention.

The Supreme Court's decision, expected by the end of June, will have nationwide implications, even in states where abortion is legal. The case raises questions about the FDA's authority and the ability of medical associations to challenge government actions that affect their practices. The Biden administration, supported by pharmaceutical companies, congressional Democrats, and several states, argues that the FDA's actions were based on scientific judgment and that limiting access to mifepristone would disrupt the regulatory framework for drug approvals.

In addition to the abortion pill case, the Supreme Court also announced that it will hear a case involving the federal obstruction law that has been used to prosecute defendants in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. The Court's eventual decision could have significant implications, as over 300 people have been charged under the obstruction statute in relation to the Capitol attack. Former President Donald Trump has also been charged with obstructing an official proceeding. The cases before the Court raise questions about the scope of the obstruction statute and whether the defendants' actions on Jan. 6 fall within its reach.

The Supreme Court's decisions in both cases will have far-reaching consequences. The abortion pill case could restrict access to a widely-used method of abortion, while the obstruction case could impact the prosecution of individuals involved in the Capitol attack. Both cases highlight the ongoing legal battles surrounding abortion rights and the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection. The Court's decisions, expected in June, will shape the landscape of these issues for years to come.