California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) blasted Walgreens on Monday for its decision to stop dispersing abortion pills in 20 states and said California will not be conducting business with the company.
“California won’t be doing business with @walgreens — or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at risk. We’re done,” Newsom tweeted on Monday.
Walgreens announced last week that it will no longer sell abortion pills by mail in 20 states after attorneys general in those states warned that the company and CVS could face legal consequences for selling the pill. The states include Iowa, Alaska, Arkansas, Alabama, South Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas; several of the states have strong restrictions on abortion.
“California is reviewing all relationships between Walgreens and the state. We will not pursue business with companies that cave to right wing bullies pushing their extremist agenda or companies that put politics above the health of women and girls,” a spokesperson for Newsom said in an emailed statement to The Hill.
Walgreens’s move, which was first reported by Politico, also drew criticism from the White House on Friday, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying it was “dangerous and unacceptable” for Republicans to target pharmacies for offering the pills.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded availability of the abortion pill in January by allowing U.S. retail pharmacies to offer the directly to patients with a prescription instead of requiring the pill to be dispensed in person by doctors or clinics.
Spokespeople for both Walgreens and CVS said in January that the companies were planning to seek the certification needed to dispense abortion pills in the states where it is legal.
