Trump Moves to Stop Animal Testing, But Still Allows Mail-Order Abortions

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it is accelerating efforts to eliminate animal testing for chemical and pesticide assessments, restoring a 2035 deadline first set during President Donald Trump’s first term.

At the same time, pro-life leaders are pressing the administration to take immediate action against mail-order chemical abortions, which are killing thousands of unborn babies each month in states with protective pro-life laws.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it is expanding its list of “cutting-edge” alternative test methods, known as New Approach Methods (NAMs), to replace animal studies under the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

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The agency is also creating a streamlined process for researchers, companies and other stakeholders to nominate additional NAMs for consideration.

“When the Trump Administration makes a commitment, we deliver,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. “With today’s announcement, we’re accelerating the shift to modern, gold standard science – without the use of animal testing – by using new, innovative methods to review chemicals. By broadening high-quality alternatives and inviting strong new candidates, we can deliver faster, more protective decisions while reducing animal testing.”

Yet pro-life organizations expressed frustration that the administration has not moved as quickly to address chemical abortions sent by mail.

A May 14 Supreme Court ruling preserved access to telehealth abortions, a decision that Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said “continues the nullification of pro-life laws, resulting in the deaths of 15,000 babies in states with pro-life laws every month and more women going to the ER for hemorrhage, infection and sepsis.”

Dannenfelser urged the administration to settle the pending case Louisiana v. FDA, which would restore in-person dispensing requirements for abortion drugs while the FDA completes a promised safety review.“

Doing so would immediately put an end to the mail-order abortion regime by restoring in-person dispensing, all while the FDA does its promised thorough safety review of the drugs,” Dannenfelser said.

“This would save lives right away and help stop the emerging pattern of coercion and domestic abuse enabled by abortion by mail — where these powerful drugs now arrive as fast as an Amazon package.”

The administration has taken some steps favored by pro-life Americans, including investigating 13 states for mandating abortion coverage in insurance plans and directing the Small Business Administration to review pandemic-era relief funds received by Planned Parenthood affiliates. White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster defended Trump’s record.

“He is the most pro-life, pro-family President in American history, and it’s not even close,” Schuster said. “It was his historic three Supreme Court appointments that made possible the overturning of Roe v. Wade after a decades-long struggle on behalf of conservatives. From day one, President Trump has taken bold action to safeguard life and uphold Americans’ fundamental freedoms, including ending the federal funding of abortion abroad. Under the President’s leadership, the FDA is actively responding to widespread concerns about mifepristone with a Gold Standard Science-based safety review.”

Still, Americans United for Life spokesman Gavin Oxley said the administration has not yet corrected what he called the “tragic mail-order abortion policy established under the Biden-era FDA.”

“It’s unfortunate, however, the administration has yet to right the tragic mail-order abortion policy established under the Biden-era FDA,” Oxley said. “Until the Trump administration does the bare minimum to protect women from the abortion pill by restoring in-person dispensing requirements, the pro-life movement will continue to push for accountability.”

A recent Lozier Institute report found that eight online-only organizations are shipping abortion drugs into states with pro-life laws, in apparent violation of those statutes.

Pro-life activists have met with White House officials to press for stronger enforcement, but some remain dissatisfied with the pace of action on chemical abortions compared with the swift steps taken on animal testing.