Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
2020 Democratic Rivals Decry Biden's Stance On Hyde Amendment: 'It’s Not About The Politics, It's About What's Right'
The New York Times: Elizabeth Warren, On MSNBC, Calls Hyde Amendment An Assault On The ‘Most Vulnerable’ Women
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, slowly gaining ground in the crowded Democratic presidential primary, appeared on MSNBC on Wednesday for a friendly town-hall event, which gave her ample opportunity to describe her signature policies and deliver some of her most reliable applause lines. But first came a question about the political news of the day: that former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. still supports the Hyde Amendment, which has banned federal funding for abortions since 1976. Several Democratic candidates, including Ms. Warren, had previously called for repealing the amendment, and Mr. Biden’s announcement brought more of them forward on Wednesday. When asked directly on air if Mr. Biden was wrong, Ms. Warren said yes. (Astor, 6/5)
The Associated Press: Dem Rivals Rebuke Biden For Not Backing Abortion Rule Repeal
The hedging prompted intraparty outcry, with top Democrats reaffirming their commitment to abortion rights and scrapping the Hyde Amendment. The pushback marked the first significant instance in which virtually the entire crowded 2020 field united to critique Biden, who has emerged as an early Democratic front-runner. (Weissert, Barrow and Schor, 6/5)
The Hill: 2020 Democrats Distance Themselves From Biden Over Hyde Amendment
“There is #NoMiddleGround on women’s rights. Abortion is a constitutional right. Under my Medicare for All plan, we will repeal the Hyde Amendment,” Sanders, who has consistently finished second to Biden in polling, tweeted. "No woman's access to reproductive health care should be based on how much money she has. We must repeal the Hyde Amendment," Harris said. (Axelrod, 6/5)
Politico: Biden Sets Off Storm For Supporting Abortion Funding Ban
Prominent liberals in Congress such as Progressive Caucus Co-Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) were visibly taken aback when asked about Biden's stand, though they held off criticizing Biden directly. "This is a constitutional right for women to be able to access abortions and be able to make decisions about their own bodies, and the things that get in the way of that — particularly for low-income women, for rural women, for women who live in states where those rights have been trampled on — is a serious issue for the entire country," Jayapal said. "I hope our presidential candidate will be bold about recognizing that.” (Ollstein, 6/5)
The Washington Post: Feud Over Abortion Adds To Questions About Joe Biden’s Vulnerabilities
Biden’s stance that he supports a law sharply limiting the use of federal funds for abortions created one of the clearest indications yet of a growing division among Democrats and a feistiness in the field, which on Wednesday displayed newfound willingness to criticize the front-runner. Recent days have laid bare potential vulnerabilities for Biden, whose greatest strength has been the perception that he is the most electable candidate, and the extent to which he is testing the leftward Democratic Party thrust that is embraced by many of his opponents. (Viser, Lee and Johnson, 6/5)
Bloomberg: Biden Breaks With 2020 Rivals By Still Backing Hyde Amendment
Biden has held a clear lead in early Democratic polls despite taking some positions that are more moderate than progressive activists demand. (Kapur, 6/5)
