Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Signs Executive Order That Aims To Shore Up Birth Control Access
CNBC: Biden Signs Executive Order Expanding Access To Birth Control
President Joe Biden on Friday signed a wide-ranging executive order aimed at protecting and increasing access to contraception, his administration’s latest attempt to shore up reproductive rights as abortion restrictions rise in many states. The White House announced the order one day shy of the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which established the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S. in 1973. Justice Clarence Thomas suggested in a concurring opinion that the nation’s highest court should revisit similar cases, including those guaranteeing access to contraception. (Constantino, 6/23)
The Hill: Biden Rallies Abortion Advocates: ‘The Court Practically Dared The Women Of America To Be Heard’
President Biden on Friday rallied reproductive rights advocates to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, saying that decision dared women to be heard. “The Dobbs decision, the court practically dared the women of America to be heard. This is what the majority wrote, ‘women are not without electoral or political power.’ You ain’t seen nothing yet, court,” Biden said at the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. Earlier on Friday, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY’s List all endorsed Biden’s reelection bid. The rally with the Democratic National Committee and the endorsements come a day ahead of the anniversary of the Supreme Court ending the roughly 50-year precedent set by Roe that guaranteed a right to an abortion. (Gangitano, 6/23)
The New York Times: Biden Denounces Abortion Bans, Warning That Privacy Is Next
Mr. Biden’s allies on Capitol Hill on Friday also called attention to the issue. House Democrats led by Representative Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts introduced legislation to require insurance coverage to include abortion care, shield patients and providers from criminal charges, and affirm a legal right to abortion and miscarriage care. The bill has no chance of passing the Republican-controlled House but was meant as a signal to supporters. (Baker, 6/23)
Also —
USA Today: Donald Trump Supports National Abortion Restrictions In New Speech
Before an adoring crowd of religious conservatives, Donald Trump marked the one-year anniversary of the end of Roe v. Wade by adopting new language and endorsing the idea of national abortion restrictions. Trump, who has previously discussed abortion as more of a state issue, told the cheering members of the Faith and Freedom Coalition "I will fight for you like no president ever" on the abortion issue. He did not endorse any specific anti-abortion legislation or time limits in his nearly 90-minute speech to members of the coalition in D.C. but did say "there of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life." (Jackson, 6/24)
AP: In Post-Roe Era, House Republicans Begin Quiet Push For New Restrictions On Abortion Access
When the Supreme Court issued its abortion ruling last June overturning Roe v. Wade, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said “our work is far from done.” He didn’t say what might come next. A year later later, McCarthy is the speaker, Republicans are in the majority and the blanks are beginning to be filled in. In a flurry of little-noticed legislative action, GOP lawmakers are pushing abortion policy changes, trying to build on the work of activists whose strategy successfully elevated their fight to the nation’s highest court. (Amiri, 6/25)
Politico: Vulnerable House Republicans Doubt Abortion Will Endanger Them This Cycle
One year after their party was pummeled over abortion restrictions on the campaign trail, vulnerable Republicans are starting to sound unafraid of the electoral consequences of it. Democratic party leaders have stated their intention to make abortion a primary issue in the ‘24 cycle, drawing no distinctions between Republicans who want a national ban and those with any other position. (Gibson, 6/26)
Reuters: U.S. State Abortion Legislation To Watch In 2023
State legislatures are wrestling with how much to restrict or expand abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Here is a snapshot of pending and passed legislation seeking to restrict or protect access in 2023. (Borter and Bernstein, 6/24)
