'Politics has no place in healthcare': Reactions pour in after SCOTUS upholds access to abortion pill

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Planned Parenthood of Michigan is applauding the United States Supreme Court's decision to continue allowing broad access to the abortion drug mifepristone - at least for now.

"Clearly I'm thrilled," said Paula Thornton Greear, president and CEO. "We at Planned Parenthood - this is what we do. We provide essential healthcare. Abortion is healthcare.

"Let's be clear - the judges should have never been deciding the fate of medication abortion."

A federal judge in Texas Planned Parenthood of Michigan is applauding the United States Supreme Court's decision to continue allowing broad access to the abortion drug mifepristone - at least for now.

"What the supreme court did, was effectively put back into effect the state of affairs that existed before that Texas judge's ruling," said Eli Savit. "But the litigation on this will continue. It is scheduled to be heard by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in fairly short order. But the good news is that for the time being, for the foreseeable future, until we get contrary court rulings, mifepristone remains available - including by mail. And that's good news - especially for those that might need it right now

Savit, the Washtenaw County prosecutor, has long been an advocate for the right to reproductive healthcare. Last year Michigan voters overwhelmingly decided the right to an abortion should be enshrined in the state constitution.

But anti-abortion activists say mifepristone should never have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration more than two decades ago.

"I'm Right to Life, so we don't like abortion in general because obviously the unborn child is killed every single time in an abortion," said Genevieve Marnon. "But we also don't want moms hurt either. So the idea that these are mail-order abortions - abortions up to 10 weeks gestation with no oversight from a physician - no ruling out an ectopic pregnancy.

Related: Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill mifepristone for now

"I think it's wise that they go back and take a look at how was this pill originally approved and why is it on the market, because it really was unlawfully approved back in 2000."

Planned Parenthood disagrees - saying mifepristone has been safe and legal and approved by scientists and doctors not judges.

"Politics has no place in people's healthcare," said Greear. "You know providing a person with the ability to self-determine their body in the course of their life and their future, is a fundamental right."