Will Cruz, Ocasio-Cortez Actually Produce A Bipartisan Bill On Birth Control? Dark Clouds In The Form Of Costs Threaten That Hope
The odd pairing of conservative Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) shocked the jaded Twittersphere with hints that they could work together on legislation for over-the-counter birth control. But the issue of costs already threatens to derail the duo. In other news from Capitol Hill: medical research on primates, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and tobacco, the Hyde amendment and the 9/11 victims fund.
The Hill:
Cruz, Ocasio-Cortez Efforts On Birth Control Access Face Major Obstacles
Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) offer to work with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on making birth control available without a prescription has raised hopes that conservatives and progressives may find common ground on an issue that has long divided Republicans and Democrats. But the two parties are miles apart when it comes to the cost of birth control and who pays for it -- major sticking points that will likely complicate efforts to craft a bipartisan compromise between the staunch conservative and liberal firebrand. (Hellmann, 6/16)
Stat:
Inhumane Or Unavoidable? As Congress Scrutinizes An Increase In Monkey Research, Scientists Defend Its Necessity
Federally funded research labs conduct thousands of experiments that rely on monkeys and other nonhuman primates— and now, Congress is ramping up its scrutiny of that science. As part of the congressional appropriations process in the House this year, lawmakers directed both the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to produce reports detailing the ways the agency’s scientists use the thousands of nonhuman primates in their research centers. (Hailu, 6/17)
NPR:
Mitch McConnell And The Tobacco Industry: Documents Show Close Ties
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says one of his "highest priorities" is to take on the leading cause of preventable death in the United States: smoking. McConnell has sponsored a bill, along with Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, that would increase the tobacco purchase age from 18 to 21. In a speech on the Senate floor last month, McConnell said, "The sad reality is that Kentucky has been the home to the highest rates of cancer in the country. We lead the entire nation in the percentage of cancer cases tied directly to smoking." (Dreisbach, 6/17)
The Hill:
Ocasio-Cortez Starts Petition To Repeal Hyde Amendment
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) started a petition Saturday to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds for abortions, arguing the restriction overwhelmingly harms low-income Americans and women of color. “It’s not the 70s anymore. This is 2019, and none of our leaders should be willing to stand by a policy that disproportionately harms low income Americans and people of color just to suit the interests of anti-choice zealots,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in an email to supporters. (Axelrod, 6/15)
Politico:
Jon Stewart Continues To Push Congress On Behalf Of 9/11 Victims
Jon Stewart on Sunday continued to push for extending the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund but said congressional politics was making passage “agonizingly difficult.” “I think this community is at the end of their rope,” Stewart told Chris Wallace, host of “Fox News Sunday.” “I think there’s a feeling of disbelief, that they can’t understand why they have to continually saddle up and ride down to Washington and make these appeals for something that should be simple but is somehow, through politics, made agonizingly difficult.” (Quilantan, 6/16)
