Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Would Suspend Filibuster To Codify Abortion Rights If They Win Congress
The Hill: Elizabeth Warren: Democrats 'Will Suspend The Filibuster' To Codify Roe V. Wade, Abortion Rights
Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announced Wednesday that there are currently enough votes in the Senate to suspend the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade and abortion rights if Democrats win control of the House and keep the Senate and White House. “We will suspend the filibuster. We have the votes for that on Roe v. Wade,” Warren said on ABC’s “The View.” (Bolton, 7/17)
The Washington Post: Vance Urged DOJ To Enforce Comstock Act, Crack Down On Abortion Pills
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), newly tapped as the GOP vice-presidential nominee, last year joined an effort to enforce the Comstock Act, the 151-year-old federal law that has become a lightning rod in the nation’s abortion debate. The Comstock Act, which bans the mailing of abortion-related materials, has not been invoked for that purpose in about a century. The Biden administration maintains that its provisions are outdated today. (Diamond and Kornfield, 7/17)
In abortion news from across the country —
NBC News: In States With Strict Abortion Policies, Simply Seeing An OB/GYN For Regular Care Can Be Difficult
The chances that a woman can see a doctor while pregnant — or during a time when she might become pregnant — have fallen significantly since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to a new report released Thursday. The findings, from The Commonwealth Fund, a nonpartisan health care research foundation, show that women living in states with a history of health disparities — often in the Southeast — are affected the most. They are not only less likely to be able to afford a doctor’s appointment; they’re less likely to be able to find an OB/GYN in their area. (Edwards, 7/18)
The Hill: Florida Abortion Amendment Backers Decry 'Dirty Trick' Language Approved By State Panel
A Florida panel approved language that will accompany a November ballot initiative on abortion, saying the initiative will have a negative impact on the state budget, a move the amendment’s supporters decried as a politically motivated “dirty trick.” The amendment would result in “significantly more abortions and fewer live births per year,” and there is uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds, according to the financial impact statement. (Weixel, 7/17)
