Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Supports Filibuster Carve-Out To Codify Abortion Rights
The New York Times: Biden Endorses Ending Filibuster To Codify Abortion Rights
President Biden on Thursday condemned what he called the “outrageous behavior” of the Supreme Court in overturning Roe v. Wade and said for the first time that he supported ending the filibuster to protect a woman’s right to an abortion and a broader constitutional right to privacy. It was a striking assertion from a president who is steeped in the traditions of the Senate and has resisted calls from the liberal wing of the Democratic Party to scrap the longstanding Senate practice of requiring a 60-vote threshold to pass legislation. But in chiding the justices for a decision he called “destabilizing” for the country, the president said it was time to push Congress to act. (Shear and Tankersley, 6/30)
AP: Biden Backs Filibuster Exception To Protect Abortion Access
Although Democrats already control the Senate by the narrowest of margins, there isn’t enough support within their caucus to change the filibuster rule, which allows any member to block legislation unless it receives 60 votes. But Biden’s statement was the latest indication that, if the party picks up a few more seats in the midterm elections in November, Democrats could seize the opportunity to pass legislation creating a nationwide right to abortion. (Megerian, 6/30)
Politico: The Democratic Primary That Could Determine The Future Of Abortion Rights
The only way Democrats can codify Roe v. Wade into law is with a world-beating bank shot that requires two new votes to weaken the filibuster. Enter Battleground Wisconsin. Senate races in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania represent Democrats’ best chance to net two extra Senate seats — enough, presumably, to chip away at chamber rules that empower the minority party to block legislation. President Joe Biden boosted their effort Thursday by endorsing an exemption to the 60-vote threshold to preserve nationwide abortion rights. (Everett, 7/1)
In related news from the federal government —
Bloomberg: Roe V. Wade Fallout: House Democrats Renew Bid To Expand Federal Abortion Funds
A $242 billion bill funding the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Education would drop the so-called Hyde Amendment for the first time since 1976. That provision bans the use of federal funds for abortion except for cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at risk. (Wasson and Fitzpatrick, 6/30)
NBC News: Congresswoman Who Wrote Abortion Rights Bill Arrested At Rally Near Supreme Court
The House Democrat who introduced a bill last year to enshrine abortion rights into federal law was among more than 180 protesters who were arrested Thursday at a pro-abortion rights rally near the Supreme Court. Rep. Judy Chu of California was participating in a civil disobedience rally on Capitol grounds, "where she was subsequently arrested alongside other activists," her office said in a news release. (Richards, 6/30)
Politico: The Conservative Supreme Court Is Just Getting Warmed Up
“What the court did just on abortion, guns and congressional power in the last eight days—that alone is momentous [but] if these justices stay together over the next few years, I don’t even think the first shoe has dropped,” University of California at Irvine Law Professor Rick Hasen said. “There’s so much more the Supreme Court could do to change American society.” (Gerstein and Ward, 6/30)
KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: A World Without ‘Roe’
It’s been less than a week since the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion and each passing day has produced more questions than answers. Doctors, employers, lawmakers, district attorneys, and women are all confused about what is allowed and when. And things won’t be sorted out for some time, it appears. Meanwhile, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed a gun bill that’s likely to do more on the mental health front than it is to curb mass shooting incidents. But if it curbs gun suicides, that would be a big step forward for public health. (6/30)
