Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Spotlight On Republican Policies As Abortion Controversies Swirl
ABC News: 2024 Candidate Who Signed Strict Abortion Ban In His State Wouldn't Outlaw It Nationwide
Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said Thursday that while he backed a strict abortion ban in his own state, he would not support a similar, nationwide law if he is elected to the White House. "I think the decision that was made returning the power to the states was the right one. And I think we're going to have -- we have a lot of division on this issue in America. And what's right for North Dakota may not be right for another state ... the best decisions are made locally," Burgum said on "CNN This Morning." (Walsh and Oppenheim, 6/8)
Politico: McCarthy’s Fractured Leadership Team Faces New Abortion Tension
As conservatives continue to snarl the House floor in protest, centrists are taking their turn to squeeze Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Behind closed doors on Wednesday, McCarthy’s No. 2 and No. 3 briefed about a dozen Republicans — mostly battleground-seat members — on their plan to take up two bills next week: Rep. Andrew Clyde’s (R-Ga.) bid to nix a Biden administration gun regulation and a separate proposal bill to strengthen limits on taxpayer funding for abortion. The meeting didn’t go smoothly. (Beavers and Ferris, 6/8)
More abortion news from New York, Indiana, and Illinois —
The Hill: New York AG Hits Anti-Abortion Group With Lawsuit For Blocking Access To Health Care Clinics
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Thursday against an anti-abortion group, Red Rose Rescue, alleging its members have repeatedly blocked entrances to health clinics and have “made it their mission to terrorize reproductive health care providers and the patients they serve.” (Fortinsky, 6/8)
Fox 59: Marion Co. Judge Grants Class Action In Religious Freedom Lawsuit Challenging Indiana Abortion Ban
An Indiana judge has now granted class action for a religious freedom-based lawsuit that seeks to strike down a near-total abortion ban in the Hoosier state. On Tuesday, a Marion County Superior Court judge certified a lawsuit being brought against the state by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana as a class action. (Schroeder, 6/7)
Illinois Newsroom: Danville’s Proposed Abortion Clinic Is Attacked For A Second Time
On May 20, an Illinois man drove his car into the clinic and has been charged with attempted arson by federal authorities. Abortion is still legal in the state. “Attacks like this are designed to intimidate and terrorize us out of providing abortion care to Illinois women and pregnant people from across the South and the Midwest, who face bans in their own home states,” said property owner LaDonna Prince in a statement. (Anderson, 6/8)
