Justice Department to ask Supreme Court to intervene in abortion pill ruling

Washington — The Justice Department said Thursday that it plans to ask the Supreme Court to wade into a legal battle involving the abortion pill, hours after an appeals court issued a decision that preserved access to the drug but blocked a number of moves by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that expanded its availability.

“The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA to deny in part our request for a stay pending appeal,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We will be seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court to defend the FDA’s scientific judgment and protect Americans’ access to safe and effective reproductive care.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit late…