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Press Release
Reproductive Freedom for All Responds to Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Todd Blanche’s Nomination for Attorney General
For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 16, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
Reproductive Freedom for All Responds to Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Todd Blanche’s Nomination for Attorney General
Washington, DC — This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a two-day hearing on Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general. Blanche previously served as Trump’s personal attorney, and his record leading the Department of Justice makes clear that he would use the nation’s highest law enforcement office to continue undermining protections for abortion providers, clinic staff, and patients, and to advance the agenda of anti-abortion extremists.
During yesterday’s hearing, Republican senators pressed Blanche on medication abortion and the delivery of mifepristone. Blanche responded that the Department of Justice would “absolutely” investigate the delivery of mifepristone and promised “meaningful action,” including by misusing the Comstock Act, which could provide a backdoor national abortion ban. Blanche repeatedly doubled down on his extreme anti-abortion record, uplifted disinformation, and praised Trump for being the “most pro-life president.” His hearing makes clear that this administration will continue to weaponize federal agencies to restrict access to abortion nationwide.
Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
“Todd Blanche has already shown us exactly how he would use the power of the Department of Justice as attorney general: to punish abortion providers and patients, reward anti-abortion extremists, and help Donald Trump put abortion care even further out of reach nationwide. Abortion access is popular across party lines, and the next attorney general must protect access to reproductive health care. Blanche’s record is disqualifying. Voters want reproductive freedom free from intimidation, and Senators who do not reject this dangerous nomination will be held accountable by their constituents.”
As acting attorney general, Blanche gutted the Department of Justice’s enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, the federal law protecting patients and providers from threats, intimidation, violence, and obstruction at reproductive health clinics. Blanche’s DOJ fired the career attorneys responsible for enforcing clinic protections, dismissed pending FACE Act cases, and released a sham report attacking FACE Act enforcement. His department has also sharply restricted future enforcement of the law and weaponized the FACE Act against journalists, signaling to anti-abortion extremists that they can threaten and obstruct patients and providers with little fear of federal accountability.
Blanche’s anti-abortion record also raises serious concerns about the future of medication abortion access. Within days of his nomination, anti-abortion lawmakers and organizations pressed Blanche to use the Department of Justice to restrict mifepristone—a safe, effective medication used in the majority of abortion care in the United States. Recently, SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser called on the administration to settle Louisiana v. FDA in a way that would allow new restrictions on mifepristone and fast-track anti-abortion efforts to limit access nationwide.
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For over 55 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
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