Despite Concerns For Roe, Sinema’s Defense Of Filibuster Stays Firm
Some abortion supporters are calling for the Senate to throw out the rule that requires 60 votes to stop a filibuster so that Democrats can pass legislation to guarantee abortion rights through legislation. But Sen. Kyrsten Sinema says in a statement that the filibuster has been an important tool to help protect the rights of women. Also on Capitol Hill, Republicans are setting a new plan for drug pricing.
The Hill:
Sinema Defends Filibuster In Statement Criticizing Decision To Overturn Roe V Wade
Centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) released a statement Tuesday pledging her support for abortion rights but gave no indication that she would change her opposition to reforming the Senate’s filibuster rule to pass legislation codifying Roe v. Wade. Sinema, along with fellow centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), voted against an effort by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic colleagues in January to weaken the Senate’s filibuster rule to allow voting rights legislation to pass. (Bolton, 5/3)
Politico:
Collins, Manchin And Other Lawmakers React To The Supreme Court Draft Opinion
Here’s a roundup of notable responses from members of Congress. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) “If this leaked draft opinion is the final decision and this reporting is accurate, it would be completely inconsistent with what Justice [Neal] Gorsuch and Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh said in their hearings and in our meetings in my office,” Collins said in a statement. “Obviously, we won’t know each Justice’s decision and reasoning until the Supreme Court officially announces its opinion in this case.” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) “The filibuster is the only protection we have in democracy,” Manchin said. “I’m not going to comment on a leak from the Supreme Court.” (Ward and Forgey, 5/3)
The Boston Globe:
Senator Susan Collins Suggests Supreme Court Justices Hid Their Roe Views
Senator Susan Collins of Maine, a moderate Republican, suggested on Tuesday she felt misled by two of the conservative justices who signed onto the leaked draft opinion eliminating the Constitutional right to an abortion as she faced renewed scrutiny for her votes for them on Tuesday. Collins, who supports abortion rights, attracted heat on the left for voting to confirm Donald Trump appointees Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court in recent years, after saying she felt confident from their discussions and public statements they would not vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the precedent that protects the right to an abortion. (Baskar, 5/3)
On covid spikes after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner —
The New York Times:
Handful Of Covid Cases Emerge After White House Correspondents’ Dinner
A handful of coronavirus cases have emerged among people who attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend, the president of the correspondents’ association said on Tuesday. Steven Portnoy of CBS News Radio, who leads the White House Correspondents’ Association, said the cases he knew of so far numbered in the “single digits.” Among those who tested positive after the gala — an annual event that skipped two years because of the pandemic — was Steve Herman, a chief national correspondent for Voice of America. Jonathan Karl, ABC News’s chief Washington correspondent, also tested positive, according to a person familiar with the matter. (Patil, 5/3)
On the Republican Party and drug pricing —
Axios:
GOP Dials Back Its Drug Price Goals
House Republicans are dialing back their drug pricing goals and abandoning direct government negotiations and other signature policies from the Trump years. A new GOP plan to lower drug costs won't become reality as long as Democrats are in charge but sets key parameters with Republicans poised to flip control of the House in the mid-term elections. (Bettelheim, 5/3)
