Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gaetz As Attorney General Would Sway Abortion, LGBTQ+ Health Laws
The New York Times: Gaetz, Gabbard And Hegseth: Trump’s Appointments Are A Show Of Force
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s appointments for top government jobs continued to roll in fast and furiously on Wednesday, and his promise to build a presidential administration fueled by retribution quickly came into view. Those plans were perhaps best summarized by Representative Matt Gaetz, who wrote of his enthusiasm for the wholesale elimination of federal law enforcement agencies just hours before Mr. Trump announced he’d chosen the Florida Republican to lead the Justice Department: “We ought to have a full-court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people,” Mr. Gaetz wrote on social media on Wednesday. “And if that means abolishing every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going!” (Rogers, 11/13)
The 19th: Where Trump AG Pick Matt Gaetz Stands On Abortion, LGBTQ+ Rights And Criminal Justice
The attorney general could influence pressing questions of abortion policy, such as whether to enforce the 1800s anti-obscenity law known as the Comstock Act, which abortion opponents believe could be used to ban the mailing of abortion pills — or even to ban abortion entirely. As a member of Congress, Matt Gaetz has opposed abortion rights, earning an A+ rating from the anti-abortion advocacy group SBA Pro-Life America. He voted against a bill that would have protected the right to contraception and in 2021 co-sponsored a proposed national ban on abortions after cardiac activity can be detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy. In Congress, Gaetz has also opposed federal LGBTQ+ protections such as the Equality Act. (Norwood, Luthra, Rummler and Becker, 11/13)
Politico: Gaetz Resigns From Congress — Possibly Skirting Long-Awaited Ethics Report
His resignation came the same day Donald Trump nominated him to be attorney general, but some Republicans think he had other motivations. One House Republican, granted anonymity to speak candidly, tied Gaetz’s resignation to trying to “stymie the ethics investigation that is coming out in one week.” (Beavers and Carney, 11/13)
More on abortion policy, gender roles in the military, and gun control —
Military Times: Could Trump Drop The VA And DOD Abortion Access Policies Right Away?
Conservative lawmakers hope that scrapping abortion access policies at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs will be among the first major changes when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. But overturning those policies may not be as easy as a quick executive order. Advocates say that public protests and legal fights — especially in the case of VA rules — could create roadblocks for the incoming president in the months ahead. (Shane III, 11/13)
NBC News: Trump’s Pick For Defense Secretary Doesn't Want Women Serving In Combat
Pete Hegseth, 44, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, has said that he believes women should not serve in combat and that he wants to see the military purged of “woke” officials who support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. ... “I’m straight up just saying that we should not have women in combat roles,” Hegseth said on the podcast. “It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.” (Kirell and Ortiz, 11/13)
ABC News: Gun Violence Prevention Groups Brace For Trump To Keep Promise Of 'Concealed Carry Reciprocity'
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to move back into the White House, gun violence prevention advocates are bracing for him to keep his campaign promise to sign a nationwide "concealed carry reciprocity" law. The move would allow gun owners with concealed carry permits to travel with their weapons to all 50 states, even those that do not honor out-of-state permit holders from doing so. (Hutchinson, 11/13)
Former US Solicitor General Ted Olson has died —
The New York Times: Theodore B. Olson, Conservative Lawyer Who Took Up Liberal Causes, Dies At 84
Theodore B. Olson, a leading Supreme Court litigator who built a sturdy reputation as a conservative power lawyer during the 1980s and ’90s, and then surprised colleagues and foes alike when he took up traditionally liberal causes like gay marriage and the children of undocumented immigrants, died on Wednesday in Fairfax, Va. He was 84. Lady Booth Olson, his wife, said the cause of death, in a hospital, was a stroke. Mr. Olson’s third wife, Barbara Olson, was killed in the Sept. 11 attacks on the hijacked plane that crashed into the Pentagon. One client whom Mr. Olson refused to take on was President Donald J. Trump, when he was asked to join the White House legal team during Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Mr. Olson told MSNBC that taking the job would have been too risky. (Risen, 11/13)
