Patty Murray Comments On Wholesaler Decision
The latest flashpoint in the national abortion debate comes not from Capitol Hill or the Supreme Court but from the aisles of a Costco pharmacy—and once again, Democrat Senator Patty Murray has made it clear just how central abortion access remains to her party’s political platform.
Late last week, Murray blasted Costco’s decision not to sell the abortion drug mifepristone, calling it a dangerous concession to what she described as “anti-abortion fanatics.” But her response, while emotional, misses several key realities—not least of which is Costco’s own reasoning.
The retail giant made its position clear: the choice was based on insufficient demand, not ideology. “Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients,” the company explained, noting that patients typically receive the drug directly through medical providers.
Huge win: @Costco won’t cave to activist pressure to turn stores into abortion pill dispensaries.
No business case. No shareholder upside. Just ideology—and it failed.
Credit to @Inspireadvisor, @JerryLeeBowyer, @AMACforAmerica, @SFOF_States & other fiduciary trustees who…
— Jeremy Tedesco (@Jeremy_Tedesco) August 14, 2025
Still, that didn’t stop Murray from framing the company’s commercial decision as part of a broader culture war waged by what she called the “far right.” Her statement claimed the move denied women access to “safe, effective, and legal medication”—a familiar refrain that skirts over the deeply divisive nature of abortion in America and glosses over the ethical and moral concerns raised by millions of citizens, including a growing cohort of younger women who defy the conventional narrative.
In fact, the most recent post-election data challenges the assumption that abortion is the Democrats’ golden ticket with women voters. A striking 43% of women aged 18–29 cast their ballots for President-elect Trump—an outcome that underscores just how much the Dobbs decision and so-called “reproductive rights” failed to galvanize the progressive surge that Democrats, including Harris, had counted on.
That is not a line of “business” that most companies would want to be involved in Ms. Senator.
Senate Democrat rips Costco for ‘refusing to sell’ abortion pills https://t.co/775MPxCNop
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) August 16, 2025
Equally important, the Costco decision came after quiet but persistent engagement from pro-life groups like Inspire Investing and Alliance Defending Freedom, who appealed not to partisan pressure but to corporate responsibility and shareholder value. Alliance Defending Freedom’s Jeremy Tedesco openly praised Costco and other retail leaders—Walmart, Kroger, and Albertsons—for prioritizing both conscience and commerce over activist demands.
Senator Murray may be right that politics is influencing pharmaceutical decisions—but perhaps not in the way she intended. The real driver here seems to be a combination of low consumer interest and an American public increasingly divided on the issue. In Murray’s world, any corporate decision not aligned with the progressive agenda is instantly labeled as caving to extremists. But for Costco, the calculus appears far more pragmatic: no demand, no product.
