Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion Measures Make The Ballots In Arizona, Montana
AP: Voters In Arizona And Montana Can Decide On Constitutional Right To Abortion
Voters in Arizona and Montana will be able to decide in November whether they want to protect the right to an abortion in their state constitutions. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a 200-word summary that abortion advocates used to collect signatures for a ballot measure is valid, clearing the way for the issue to remain on the ballot. Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen on Tuesday certified Montana’s constitutional initiative for the November ballot. Under both measures, abortions would be allowed until fetal viability — the point at which a fetus could survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks. (Govindarao and Hanson, 8/21)
More abortion updates —
Politico: Trump Says He Would Not Enforce Comstock Act, Angering Anti-Abortion Groups
Former President Donald Trump gave his clearest answer to date on the federal regulation of abortion pills, and it’s not what conservatives wanted to hear. After months of avoiding specifics, Trump told CBS News on Monday that he would not use the 150-year-old Comstock Act to ban mail delivery of the drugs if elected in November, adding: “The federal government should have nothing to do with this issue.” Many prominent conservatives and anti-abortion activists were outraged by the remark, calling it “nonsensical” and “cowardly,” and warning that it could dampen turnout and enthusiasm on the right heading into a close election. (Ollstein, 8/20)
The Hill: Kamala Harris Blasts Donald Trump Over Roe V. Wade Comments
Vice President Harris on Tuesday ripped former President Trump for comments in a new interview in which he said he had no regrets about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Harris rallied thousands of supporters in Milwaukee, roughly 90 miles up the road from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where she seized on comments Trump made to CBS News a day earlier. “Yesterday, when he was asked if he had any regrets about ending Roe v. Wade, Donald Trump – without even a moment’s hesitation, you would think he would reflect on it for a second – said no. No regrets,” Harris said. Trump told CBS News the issue of abortion should be handled by the states and suggested people were “very happy about it.” (Samuels, 8/20)
In other election news —
NBC News: JD Vance Accuses Tim Walz Of Lying About IVF Experience
After he talked about his family's fertility struggles on the campaign trail, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz is facing criticism from his opponent for not accurately having identified the treatment his wife, Gwen, received. The Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance, of Ohio, accused Walz on Tuesday of lying about having conceived his children via in vitro fertilization. Vance seemed to be responding to an article in Glamour magazine, in which Gwen Walz said she had undergone a fertility treatment called intrauterine insemination. (Bendix, 8/21)
Roll Call: Can Toxic Exposure Law Break GOP’s Electoral Edge With Veterans?
Democrats are hoping to wrestle veteran voters away from Republicans this year, and plan to highlight efforts to expand health care access in campaigns for some key seats. Central to the party’s argument is the 2022 law expanding access to health care for veterans exposed to toxins while serving overseas. That legislation has led to a sharp increase in demand at the Department of Veterans Affairs, with over 412,000 new veterans enrolled over the past year. That high level of interest has even led to a VA budget shortfall that lawmakers will be scrambling to fill in September. (Quigley, 8/20)
