New Jersey Announces It's Stockpiling Abortion Pills Before Trump Takes Office
HuffPost
Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to make the announcement Tuesday, joining a number of other states in trying to safeguard access to mifepristone.
New Jersey is joining a handful of states in stockpiling the abortion drug mifepristone as the country heads into President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and his administration are gathering a six-month supply of mifepristone to ensure future abortion access as Republican attacks against the drug loom large, Murphy’s team told HuffPost exclusively. The governor plans to announce his administration’s stockpiling efforts, as well as a renewed push to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortion care, in his State of the State speech Tuesday afternoon in Trenton.
“My Administration is committed to strengthening reproductive freedoms to ensure New Jersey remains a safe haven for patients and providers, in light of the anti-choice policies supported by the Trump Administration and the current majorities in Congress,” Murphy said in an emailed statement to HuffPost.
“Stockpiling mifepristone will protect access to this vital health care, and eliminating out-of-pocket costs for abortion procedures will continue our work to make reproductive health care affordable,” Murphy continued. “These efforts build upon the protections and services we have invested in over the past seven years.”
The New Jersey Department of Health has already started working with abortion providers throughout the state, including Planned Parenthood, to stockpile mifepristone. The move is part of a $50 million investment into reproductive health care services included in the state’s 2025 budget. In addition to mifepristone, the funds will go toward hiring more reproductive health care workers and upgrading and expanding the state’s family planning facilities.