Democrats and pro-choice advocates are up in arms after a recent ruling in Texas further restricts abortion access. The decision blocks providers from offering medication abortion via telehealth appointments, forcing patients to travel to a clinic to receive the pill. This ruling comes amidst a flurry of conflicting legal decisions around abortion access nationwide.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has appealed a recent decision overturning the FDA’s approval of the abortion pill after 23 years. Judge Theodore H. Chuang of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled that the FDA had placed an “unjustifiable burden” on patients seeking the medication by requiring them to obtain it from a medical provider, rather than through mail-order pharmacies.

Pro-choice advocates argue that the Texas ruling is a blatant attempt to restrict abortion access during the pandemic, which has made in-person appointments more dangerous for many patients. They also point to the hypocrisy of the recent federal ruling, which outlawed a medication known to be safer than Tylenol.

Meanwhile, Republicans have largely remained silent on the issue, with Democrats accusing them of allowing extremist judges to chip away at reproductive rights with little public opposition. This latest round of legal battles highlights the ongoing political and cultural divide over abortion, with pro-choice advocates fighting to protect access while opponents seek to restrict it further.