N.J. Will Stockpile Abortion Pills, Governor Says before Trump Inauguration

The Washington Post

15:10 JST, January 18, 2025

New Jersey will begin stockpiling supplies of a key abortion drug, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced, days before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office with Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

“A couple of years ago, New Jersey worked proactively to protect abortion rights,” Murphy said during his State of the State address on Tuesday, in reference to a law he signed months before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. “And now we must further secure our reputation as a safe haven for reproductive freedom.”

In addition to urging the Democratic-held state legislature to pass a law to “scrap out-of-pocket costs for abortion procedures,” Murphy announced that New Jersey will stockpile abortion medication mifepristone “so every woman can access this crucial form of reproductive care.” The decision, he said, was prompted by “anti-choice policies supported by the current majorities in Congress.”

In November, reproductive-health organizations and companies reported that more women were seeking abortion pills in the aftermath of Trump’s election victory, while antiabortion advocates began planning aggressive legal action against people and organizations that help women get abortions, as The Washington Post reported. As states moved to restrict people’s access to abortion and abortion pills in the wake of Roe’s fall, New Jersey’s abortion protections have ensured that both remain legal there.

Trump has repeatedly shifted his position on abortion. In recent years, he has criticized the unpopularity of statewide abortion bans – including describing Florida’s six-week abortion ban as “a terrible mistake” – while also claiming responsibility for the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe and arguing that states should decide on abortion rights.

In August, he suggested he was open to revoking access to mifepristone, which is part of a two-drug regimen used in more than 60 percent of U.S. abortions. He has since said that he does not plan to restrict abortion pills, but he added that “things do change.”

The Supreme Court unanimously upheld broad access to mifepristone in last June, two years after overturning Roe. Ahead of that decision, Walgreens and CVS announced they would begin selling the pill in states where it is legally allowed.

In 2023, Democratic governors in other states – including California and Massachusetts – also announced plans to stockpile abortion pills. Eighteen U.S. states now have bans on all or most abortions, three have bans on abortions after 12 or 15 weeks, while courts in two others have blocked similar laws – although thousands of women in states with restrictions are turning to online providers to access abortion pills.