Liberal Groups See Political Advantage In Rollback Of Contraception Mandate
“As millions of women watch this administration take away fundamental health care like birth control, they’re also paying attention to all those members of Congress who are not standing up to fight for them,” says Erica Sackin, political communications director for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
The Washington Post:
Liberal Groups Plan To Hammer Vulnerable Republicans On Birth Control
Liberal groups are seizing on Republican attempts to roll back health coverage and limit access to birth control, as they seek to galvanize women voters ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Organizations such as Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Emily’s List believe the Trump administration handed them a potent political issue Friday when it carved out wide exceptions to the Affordable Care Act’s promise of no-cost contraception. Activists plan to link this action to congressional Republicans’ repeated attempts to undercut the ACA in ways that could have caused millions to lose health insurance, as part of a broader strategy focused on defeating moderate GOP members and buttressing vulnerable Democrats. (Viebeck, 10/11)
The Associated Press:
Women's Health Docs Say Trump Ignores Birth Control Science
The Trump administration's new birth control rule is raising questions among some women's health experts, who say it overlooks known benefits of contraception while selectively citing data that raise doubts about effectiveness and safety. "This rule is listing things that are not scientifically validated, and in some cases things that are wrong, to try to justify a decision that is not in the best interests of women and society," said Dr. Hal Lawrence, CEO of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which represents women's health specialists. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/11)
The Philadelphia Inquirer/Philly.com:
Pennsylvania Sues Trump Administration Over Birth Control Rollback
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Wednesday became the latest official to sue the Trump administration over its move to roll back the Affordable Care Act’s birth control coverage mandate. ... On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a directive that would let many more employers, including colleges, universities, and health insurance companies, deny birth control coverage on moral grounds. (McCullough, 10/11)
In other women's health news —
The Hill:
ACLU, Planned Parenthood Sue Missouri Over New Abortion Law
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri sued the state of Missouri on Tuesday over new abortion regulations. The groups argue a recently passed law "severely restricts access to safe, legal abortion" by requiring the same physician performing an abortion to be the one giving state-mandated information to a patient 72 hours before the procedure. (Hellmann, 10/11)
The Hill:
Twitter Backs Down, Will Allow Blackburn To Promote Senate Ad
Twitter reversed its decision to block a GOP congresswoman from promoting her campaign video on its website. In a video announcing her campaign for the Senate, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) referenced "baby body parts," which Twitter called a violation of its guidelines. (Hellmann, 10/11)
