WASHINGTON, D.C. – A pending “effort to liberalize abortion access in Liberia” has drawn sharp criticism from a senior U.S. lawmaker, who accused Western nations and UN agencies of using development funds to impose a “new form of neo-colonialism” on the African country. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs’ Africa Subcommittee, voiced his strong opposition on Wednesday, targeting Liberia’s proposed Public Health Act amendment.
The amendment, which would legalize abortion on demand and expand access to abortion pills, is being heavily promoted by foreign governments, Smith claimed. “This is a new form of neo-colonialism—outsiders using development funds to impose abortion on African nations under the false banner of women’s rights,” Smith said during a press conference on October 22, 2025.
Smith anchored his criticism in a new report titled “The Abortion Pill Harms Women,” released by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), a conservative think tank. The study, published on April 28, 2025, claims that serious adverse events from the abortion pill mifepristone are approximately 22 times more frequent than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes.
“That’s absolutely shocking; the abortion pill is not safe and the cover-up must end,” Smith stated.
He cited the study’s finding that 11% of women who undergo a medication abortion experience a serious adverse event like sepsis, infection, or hemorrhage. “Over one in ten patients experience at least one serious adverse event. Again, that is shocking,” he said.
These claims stand in stark contrast to the position of major medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization, which have consistently found medication abortion to be a safe and effective medical procedure. Smith specifically named Ireland, UNFPA, and UNICEF as funders of “The Protect, Empower, and Nurture Program” in Liberia and alleged that even supportive newspaper coverage was “paid for by Sweden.”
In response, Smith announced his forthcoming “Safe Passages Act,” legislation aimed at reducing maternal mortality by expanding access to trained health workers, emergency obstetric care, safe blood, and rural healthcare infrastructure. “These are the pathways to life and dignity,” Smith argued, “not the mass distribution of $5 baby poison pills.” Concluding his remarks, Smith framed the issue in stark moral terms: “Abortion pills are not healthcare—they are chemical violence against both mother and child. Liberia’s children—and their mothers—deserve far better.”
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. The unmodified word abortion generally refers to induced abortion, or deliberate actions to end a pregnancy.[nb 2] Abortion occurring without intervention is known as spontaneous abortion or “miscarriage”, and occurs in roughly 30–40% of all pregnancies.
In Liberia, abortion is legal under specific circumstances, including risk to the mother’s life or health, rape, incest, fetal impairment, or pregnancy involving a girl under 16. It is not permitted for economic or social reasons. Legal abortion is restricted to the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, though gestational limits can be extended in cases where a doctor determines there is a substantial risk of gravely impairing the mother’s health. Despite legal restrictions, abortion is common.
