Dr. Nisha Verma Stands Her Ground in Contentious Senate Hearing On ‘Dangers of Chemical Abortion Drugs’

On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Dr. Nisha Verma, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in a hearing that quickly became one of the year’s most contentious exchanges on reproductive healthcare.

The hearing, titled “Protecting Women: Exposing the Dangers of Chemical Abortion Drugs,” was organized by Republican lawmakers to scrutinize the safety of medication abortion, particularly the drug mifepristone. Dr. Verma, who was called as a witness by Democratic members of the committee, faced sustained questioning that veered from scientific evidence into debates about gender identity, creating viral moments that dominated social media throughout the day.

Personal Testimony on Medication Abortion

In her prepared remarks to the committee, Dr. Verma shared both clinical expertise and deeply personal experience. According to Physicians for Reproductive Health, she revealed that she had used mifepristone and misoprostol herself several months ago after experiencing a pregnancy loss with her husband.

“Knowing their safety and efficacy, I took these medications myself a few months ago after my husband and I experienced a devastating pregnancy loss,” Dr. Verma testified, as reported by Physicians for Reproductive Health. “Luckily, in Massachusetts, we were able to obtain the medications from our local pharmacy and complete this very difficult process safely, privately, and at home.”

Dr. Verma used her personal experience to highlight disparities in access. She noted that unnecessary restrictions on mifepristone force many people to undergo additional hardship during already heartbreaking experiences, according to her published testimony.

Scientific Defense of Medication Abortion

Dr. Verma presented extensive research supporting the safety of mifepristone. According to Physicians for Reproductive Health, she told senators that over the past three decades, mifepristone has been discussed in more than 780 medical reviews and used in more than 630 published clinical trials, of which more than 420 were randomized controlled studies. She emphasized that over 100 of those studies specifically assessed safety.

“The fact is: the science on mifepristone’s safety and effectiveness is longstanding and settled,” Dr. Verma stated in her testimony, as reported by Physicians for Reproductive Health.

Senator Patty Murray’s office noted in a statement that more than 160 high-quality studies have been conducted on mifepristone, and millions of women around the world use it safely every year with fewer complications than some common medications.

Dr. Verma also addressed equity concerns. According to Physicians for Reproductive Health, she testified that the consequences of losing access to mifepristone would disproportionately impact patients with low incomes, patients of color, immigrant patients, and those who live in rural areas—communities already facing dangerous barriers to healthcare due to systemic issues.

 “I am a person of science, and I’m also someone here who’s here to represent the complex experiences of my patients, and I don’t think polarized language or questions serve that goal.”

Heated Exchange Over Gender Identity

The hearing took a confrontational turn when Senator Ashley Moody and Senator Josh Hawley repeatedly asked Dr. Verma whether men can get pregnant. According to multiple news sources including Fox News, Dr. Verma declined to provide a simple yes-or-no answer, explaining that she cares for patients with many identities and that she believed the line of questioning was politically motivated rather than scientifically relevant.

“I take care of people with many identities,” Dr. Verma told Senator Hawley, according to transcripts published by multiple news outlets. She characterized yes-or-no questions on this topic as a political tool, telling Hawley she would be happy to have a conversation that was not coming from a place of trying to be polarizing.

According to The National Desk, Hawley pressed back, stating that the hearing was about the safety of women and science, and that biological men and women are different. “I don’t know how we can take you seriously and your claims to be a person of science, if you won’t level with us on this basic issue,” Hawley said, according to media reports.

Dr. Verma maintained her position throughout the exchange. “I am a person of science, and I’m also someone here who’s here to represent the complex experiences of my patients, and I don’t think polarized language or questions serve that goal,” she responded, according to The National Desk.

Professional Background and Credentials

Dr. Verma brings extensive credentials to her advocacy work. According to her professional profiles at Emory Healthcare and the Society of Family Planning, she was born in North Carolina to Indian immigrant parents. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also received her medical degree in 2015.

She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and then pursued specialized training through a Complex Family Planning Fellowship at Emory University, where she also earned her Master of Public Health degree, according to Emory Healthcare.

Dr. Verma is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology and is a complex family planning subspecialist. According to Newsweek, she began practicing medicine in 2021 and has more than 10 years of experience in the medical field. She currently provides care in both Georgia and Massachusetts and is affiliated with multiple hospitals including Emory University Hospital Midtown and Grady Memorial Hospital, according to U.S. News & World Report.

She serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine, according to Emory Healthcare. Dr. Verma also previously served as the Darney/Landy Fellow at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where she was actively involved in abortion-related policy and advocacy work, according to the Society of Family Planning.

Research and Advocacy Focus

According to the Society of Family Planning, Dr. Verma’s research expertise centers on conducting qualitative abortion-related research in restrictive areas and working at the intersection of policy, advocacy, and research. Her vision is to produce data that can be used to push for policy change and improve access to abortion care in the U.S. Southeast, particularly for communities already marginalized from care.

She has published multiple peer-reviewed articles on topics including medication abortion through telehealth, self-managed abortion, and the impact of abortion restrictions on maternal health, according to her U.S. News profile.

As a Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, Dr. Verma has testified before Congress multiple times. According to C-SPAN records, she has appeared in at least five congressional hearings since 2022, including testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in September 2022 and the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2023 and 2025.

Responding to Critics

In her testimony, Dr. Verma acknowledged complexity while maintaining focus on evidence-based care. “As a doctor, I know that abortion care can be complicated for many people. I sit with that complexity every day, as do so many of my patients and their families,” she stated, according to Physicians for Reproductive Health. “Holding space for complexity is important—but discomfort with abortion care should not be used as an excuse to distort facts.”

She concluded her prepared remarks by emphasizing her commitment to patient-centered care. According to Physicians for Reproductive Health, she told senators: “As a doctor, I have the immense privilege of sitting with people and their families to learn about their lives. My patients remind me every day that abortion care, pregnancy, and medicine are not isolated political issues, and I chose to be here in this room today, as challenging as it is, to honor them. I hope moving forward this committee will focus on addressing the many real, documented dangers patients face, rather than restricting access to safe, evidence-based care.”

The hearing underscored the deep divisions in American politics over reproductive healthcare and highlighted how these debates increasingly intersect with questions about gender identity and the role of physicians in politically charged environments. As lawmakers continue to debate abortion policy and medication access, Dr. Verma’s testimony represents the ongoing tension between medical evidence and political imperatives in shaping healthcare policy.

This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.