State of Texas and Mayo Pharmacy v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Description: The Biden administration issued a mandate requiring pharmacies that serve patients with Medicare, Medicaid, or other federally funded coverage to stock and dispense elective abortion drugs. The Biden administration threatens legal action against any pharmacy or pharmacist that does not comply, even if doing so violates their religious beliefs, as is the case of Mayo Pharmacy and its owner, Dr. Kevin Martian.
Court affirms pharmacies free to operate according to religious beliefs
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Matt Bowman, director of regulatory practice, regarding a federal district court ruling issued Friday in State of Texas and Mayo Pharmacy v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in which the court affirmed that HHS’s pharmacy abortion guidance can’t require pharmacies to dispense abortion drugs or violate their religious beliefs:
“Unelected bureaucrats can’t force Americans to dispense abortion-inducing drugs against their conscience. HHS changed its pharmacy abortion guidance after the court ruled in favor of religious pharmacies in July. Now, the court made it clear that the guidance can’t require pharmacies to dispense abortion drugs or violate their religious beliefs. The ruling also indicated that the court will likely stop any future attempts by HHS to use this guidance to open a burdensome investigation against our client, Mayo Pharmacy in North Dakota, or pharmacies in Texas if they decline to dispense abortion drugs. Federal agencies must be held accountable when they overstep their authority.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT Matt Bowman
Matt Bowman serves as senior counsel and director of regulatory practice for Alliance Defending Freedom, where he leads the team focusing on the impact of administrative law on religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and family. From 2017 to 2020, Bowman was a senior executive service appointee in the Trump administration, serving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Deputy General Counsel, and then in the Office for Civil Rights. Prior to joining HHS, Bowman was an accomplished litigator at ADF for over ten years. Before joining ADF in 2006, Bowman served as a law clerk for Judges Samuel A. Alito, Jr., and Michael A. Chagares, at the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and for Judge John M. Roll at the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Bowman earned his J.D. summa cum laude and was first in his class at Ave Maria School of Law in 2003. He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and Michigan and is admitted to practice at the U.S. Supreme Court and multiple federal appellate and district courts.