Costco Won't Dispense Abortion Pill After Conservative Pressure Campaign

It's "deeply disappointing to see this sort of capitulation to the far right’s intimidation," Sen. Tammy Duckworth remarked.

In a move emboldening right-wing activists to keep up their pressure campaigns, Costco confirmed Thursday that it won’t seek certification to dispense mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill.

In an announcement first reported by Bloomberg News, Costco said the decision was “based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients” for mifepristone, the first drug used in what’s usually a two-step regimen.

Costco did not return HuffPost’s request to elaborate on the decision, but the conservative activist groups who lobbied for it are calling the announcement a big win ― and say they’re setting their sights on more pharmacies.

“Retailers like Costco keep their doors open by selling a lifetime of purchases to families, both large and small. They have nothing to gain and much to lose by becoming abortion dispensaries,” Michael Ross, legal counsel for the Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement.

“Retail pharmacies exist to serve the health and wellness of their customers, but abortion drugs like mifepristone undermine that mission by putting women’s health at risk,” he continued.