New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy says the state will stock up on abortion pills before Trump returns to the White House
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said Tuesday the state will stockpile abortion drugs in preparation for President-elect Trump’s return to the White House next week with the GOP in control of both houses of Congress.
The governor made the comments about protecting abortion drugs like mifepristone during the State of the State address, when he pledged to work with Trump on issues where they share priorities, but also stressed that the state is ready to fight back against the incoming administration in areas where they are opposed.
Murphy is one of several Democratic governors who say they are open to working with the Trump administration. But Murphy stressed he would not back down from challenging the “anti-choice” policy backed by the Republican-led House and Senate in Washington and said the state would stockpile mifepristone “so that every woman can access this essential form of reproductive care.”
“I will never give up on a partnership with the Trump administration where our priorities are aligned,” Murphy said. “But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values — if and when they are tested.”
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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the State House in Trenton, NJ on January 9, 2024. (AP)
New Jersey is the latest Democratic-led state to announce plans to stock mifepristone, one of two drugs used in combination to terminate pregnancies.
Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, said last month that he had no plans to limit abortion drugsbut he also acknowledged that “things are changing.”
Pro-choice groups have expressed concern that Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, could roll back the Comstock Act, a law passed by Congress in 1873 that banned the shipment of drugs or instruments used for abortion.
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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy speaks during a news conference in Newark in August. (AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
In June, the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously to maintain access to mifepristone. The case sought to limit access to the drug, including in states where abortion is legal.
Abortion is prohibited, with some exceptions, at all stages of pregnancy in 14 states, and after about six weeks of pregnancy in another three states.
In Tuesday’s State of the State address, which was his penultimate, Murphy emphasized his reluctance to become a lame duck governor before his second term ends, revealing several proposals for this year. The term-limited governor will leave office a year after November election of the governor. New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states with regular gubernatorial races this year.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy speaks to the media after meeting with President Biden during the National Governors Association Winter Meeting at the White House on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“During this final chapter of our journey, our absolute top priority — as it has been since day one — is providing economic security and opportunity to every New Jerseyan,” Murphy said.
Other proposals announced by Murphy include ordering schools to ban cellphones in grades K-12.
“Our children are inundated with screens,” he said. “They make it incredibly difficult for our kids, not only to learn, but to retain the substance of what they’re learning.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
