Washington (H24N). The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent decision to allow the use of the so-called abortion pill RU-486 met a challenge Wednesday when two conservative Republican lawmakers moved to restrict the pill's use.

Rep. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.) introduced legislation on Capitol Hill to protect women from what they characterize as a dangerous drug.

Coburn, a licensed physician, said the legislation is not about limiting the use of the drug but it is about "protecting women who choose to terminate a pregnancy."

He went on to say, "Congress has a duty to ensure that RU-486 kills only one person instead of two."

Hutchinson promised the "RU-486 Patient Health Safety Act" would strengthen patient protection standards removed by the FDA after heavy political pressure.

"It is extremely disturbing that the FDA would switch gears in a matter of months and water down patient protections for American women, just to see the RU-486 pill approved before the end of this administration," Hutchinson said in a news release. "In addition to approving a drug that has proven to have serious and potentially dangerous side effects for women, the FDA has further endangered the health of thousands of women by weakening these protections."

Under the bill, doctors prescribing the drug, also known as mifepristone, would be required to be listed in a national registry as well as be qualified in the following areas:

• Ability to handle complications of an incomplete abortion.
• Licensed and trained to perform abortions.
• Qualified to read a sonogram in order to date the pregnancy and rule out ectopic or tubal pregnancies.
• Possess the ability to admit patients in a nearby hospital in case complications arise.

The FDA had considered including the mandates set forth in Coburn and Hutchinson's legislation but left them out in its final decision.

Coburn's office expressed hope the legislation could be voted on before the end of the 106th Congress, scheduled to end in the next week or two. In a rare move, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) has signed on to be a co-sponsor of the bill. Also on board in support are other key members of the House leadership: House Majority Leader Dick Armey and Majority Whip Tom Delay, both of Texas.

RU-486 was a topic of discussion Tuesday night in the first presidential debate of this election year when moderator Jim Lehrer asked Republican candidate Texas Gov. George W. Bush whether he would, as president, enact powers to reverse the FDA decision. Bush, a staunch pro-life supporter, said he wasn't aware of any authority that would enable the president to reverse an FDA ruling and vowed he would not try. He did not rule out signing legislation regarding RU-486 sent to him by Congress.

Democratic candidate Vice President Al Gore, an ardent supporter of a woman's right to choose, praised the FDA's diligence in approving the pill's usage.

The drug, which has been approved for use for more than a decade in Europe, has been under intense study by the FDA over the past 12 years.

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