Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Takes Flak For Barely Mentioning Abortion Rights In Speech
The New York Times: Abortion Rights Supporters See Biden Address As Missed Opportunity
During the midterm campaigns, Democrats spent months focused on the demise of federal abortion rights and the danger they said it posed to all Americans. In his State of the Union speech, President Biden spent roughly 42 seconds. (Lerer, 2/9)
The Guardian: Biden Criticized For Just One Mention Of Abortion In State Of The Union Speech
Joe Biden is facing criticism for making only a late, brief mention of abortion rights in his first State of the Union address since the reversal of Roe v Wade by a conservative-led supreme court last year removed the federal right to the procedure in the US. During Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, Biden used the word abortion exactly once, making remarks about statewide abortions bans almost an hour into the speech. (Oladipo, 2/8)
The 19th: State Of The Union: How Many Words Biden Spoke On Abortion, LGBTQ+ Rights
Biden called on Congress to restore “every woman’s constitutional right to choose” by codifying Roe v. Wade and protect LGBTQ+ Americans by passing the Equality Act. In 2022’s State of the Union, he used 37 words when addressing abortion access and spent 58 words talking about LGBTQ+ Americans. In his 2021 address to Congress, Biden did not mention abortion and spent 40 words talking about LGBTQ+ Americans. ... Abortion is an uncommon topic in State of the Union addresses, and most presidents who mention abortion do so to condemn it. President Ronald Reagan was the first to explicitly address abortion, making an impassioned plea to “find positive solutions to the tragedy of abortion” in 1984 during a reelection campaign. President Barack Obama became the first president to express support for abortion, doing so in his penultimate address in 2015; Biden became the second last year. (Padilla and Mithani, 2/8)
More abortion news from Ohio, Idaho, Maryland, and Indiana —
Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Voters Could See Abortion Issue On Ballot In 2023
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, a swiftly implemented Ohio law cut off access to nearly all abortions. Those abortion restrictions are now on hold and the law's fate is in the hands of Ohio judges. But proponents of abortion access in the Buckeye State want voters to decide when and how abortions are performed − as soon as this November. (Balmert and BeMiller, 2/8)
CNN: Ohio Abortion Law Meant Weeks Of 'Anguish,' 'Agony' For Couple Whose Unborn Child Had Organs Outside Her Body
Just when Beth and Kyle Long received the worst news of their life, an Ohio law made their searing pain even worse. For four years, the Longs tried to have a baby, enduring multiple rounds of grueling fertility treatments. In September 2022, Beth finally became pregnant. But an ultrasound four months later showed that most of the baby’s organs were outside the body. (Cohen and Musa, 2/8)
Insider: Idaho Bill Would Make Helping Minors Get Abortions Illegal
A new bill introduced in Idaho's House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday would classify the act of helping a pregnant minor get a "criminal abortion" as human trafficking. Proposed by Republican Rep. Barbara Ehardt of Idaho Falls, House Bill 98 expands the state's existing trafficking laws and would restrict alternative ways a pregnant minor might seek an abortion. (Lee, 2/8)
AP: Maryland Governor, Officials Supporting Abortion Protections
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and state lawmakers are scheduled to announce support Thursday for measures protecting abortion rights, including a state constitutional amendment that would enshrine it. House Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson, who are both Democrats, will join the governor at a news conference to show their support for a measure that would protect patients and providers in Maryland from criminal, civil and administrative penalties relating to abortion bans or restrictions in other states. (Witte, 2/9)
AP: Indiana Lawmakers Look To Broaden Birth Control Access
Indiana lawmakers this session are eyeing ways to expand contraceptive access to prevent unintended pregnancies in the state after the Republican-led Legislature pushed through an abortion ban this past summer. A House committee on Tuesday considered a proposal that could permit pharmacists to prescribe birth control hours before state Senators approved a bill that would allow Medicaid recipients same-day access to long-acting reversible contraceptives. (Rodgers, 2/7)
