Republican lawmakers are planning to reintroduce a bill that would suspend sale of Mifeprex -- known generically as mifepristone, which is a drug that when taken with misoprostol can cause a medical abortion -- and launch an investigation into the process by which the drug was approved, the Washington Times reports. The bill, known as the "RU-486 Suspension and Review Act," would immediately suspend Mifeprex's FDA approval.

The bill insists that RU-486 was approved under a "protocol reserved for drugs intended to treat life-threatening diseases" and that the decision to approve the drug was "thoroughly political, not scientific," the Times reports. If the legislation -- which was initially introduced in November 2003 -- passes and General Accounting Office determines that FDA "violated its own rules" in approving Mifeprex, the drug would be "banned indefinitely." However, according to the legislation, if the GAO finds that the FDA did not violate its own rules in the approval of Mifeprex, the suspension of the drug's sale would be lifted, according to the Times.

The legislators asserted that mifepristone is “a drug that is clearly dangerous.” However, the reality of the matter is medical evidence indicates that RU-486 is as safe or safer than other commonly used medications, and less risky than continuing a pregnancy to term. There have been 10 deaths per 200,000 prescriptions for Viagra, while there are 2 deaths per 200,000 prescriptions for RU-486. But you don’t see the Republican lawmakers getting worked up about the safety of men with erectile dysfunction.