Vulnerable Senators, Trying To Walk Fine Line On Abortion, Draw Fire From Both Sides
With the issue expected to be a lightning rod in the 2018 elections, lawmakers are trying to find the right balance. It isn't easy.
Politico:
Abortion Politics Hound Senators From Both Parties
The politics of abortion are already vexing vulnerable senators from both parties on the 2018 ballot. Two of the most endangered senators up for reelection next year, West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and Nevada Republican Dean Heller, are being targeted by their opposition for stumbling over the issue recently. And there's plenty more in store: If the Senate calls up a bill to repeal Obamacare, controversy over Planned Parenthood funding will come to the fore — ensuring the 2018 campaign won’t lack for that perennial lightning rod. (Schor, 5/14)
Meanwhile, in the states —
KCUR:
Missouri Appeals Decision Blocking Abortion Restrictions
As expected, Missouri has appealed a federal judge’s ruling blocking two abortion restrictions enacted by the Legislature in 2007.Attorney General Josh Hawley had said he would appeal the preliminary injunction entered by U.S District Judge Howard Sachs last week. The injunction blocks Missouri’s laws requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and abortion clinics to be outfitted like ambulatory surgical centers. (Margolies, 5/12)
The Tennessean:
Abortion: Tennessee Governor Signs Strict Late-Term Ban
Tennessee's governor signed a strict new abortion measure into law Friday, drawing praise and sharp criticism. The measure will further limit the few abortions already performed in Tennessee past the point of fetal viability — and potentially send doctors to jail if they fail to prove in court that an abortion of a viable fetus was necessary to save a woman's life or prevent substantial or irreversible harm to a "major bodily function of a pregnant woman." (Wadhwani and Lowary, 5/12)
And in other women's health news —
Politico:
Trump Calls For More Women's Health Care, Paid Family Leave Options
In a statement celebrating Women's Health Week, President Donald Trump on Sunday called on improving health care access for "quality prenatal, maternal, and newborn care," in addition to ensuring paid family leave for both mothers and fathers." Ensuring affordable, accessible, and quality health care is critical to improving women’s health and ensuring that it fits their priorities at any stage of life," Trump said in his statement, issued on Mother's Day. (Morin, 5/14)
