Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Harris Suggests Lawmakers Enacting Abortion Bans Should 'Learn How A Woman’s Body Works'
ABC News: Vice President Harris Hammers 'Outrageous' Abortion Ruling
Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday lambasted last month's Supreme Court ruling scrapping constitutional protections for abortion access and highlighted state laws restricting or banning the procedure. In a visit to Indiana, where a 10-year-old girl who was raped then obtained an abortion after being unable to get the procedure in Ohio, Harris singled out legislation that outlaws abortions without exceptions for sexual assault or incest, calling such laws "outrageous" in light of the court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. (Axelrod, 7/25)
AP: Indiana Abortion Debate Draws Protest Crowds, Vice President
“Maybe some people need to actually learn how a woman’s body works,” Harris said Monday, eliciting murmurs and laughs from the Democratic legislators. “The parameters that are being proposed mean that for the vast majority of women, by the time she realizes she is pregnant, she will effectively be prohibited from having access to reproductive health care that will allow her to choose what happens to her body.” (Davies and Rodgers, 7/26)
CNN: Indiana Legislature Convening Special Session To Consider Abortion Ban
Indiana lawmakers reconvened on Monday to consider more restrictions on abortion, the first state to hold a special session with the goal of potentially curtailing abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month. A special Indiana General Assembly committee met for more than four hours on Monday to discuss Senate Bill 1, which would prohibit abortion unless the procedure was necessary to prevent a "substantial permanent impairment" to the life of the mother. Republicans control the state legislature. (Stracqualursi, Duster and Ly, 7/25)
In other abortion access —
The Washington Post: People With Disabilities Weigh Medication, Pregnancy In Post-Roe World
People with disabilities — including psychiatric, chronic and physical — say they will be disproportionately affected by the loss of federal abortion protections and have been overlooked in the discussion surrounding abortion access. Studies have found that they experience higher rates of sexual violence — one situation that could lead to an abortion — in addition to higher rates of unplanned pregnancies and a higher risk of death during pregnancy compared to people without disabilities. They may also take medications known as teratogens that have harmful effects on pregnancy, including Depakote, which has the generic name valproate, in addition to topiramate and phenytoin, among other medications, according to neurology studies. (Venkataramanan, 7/25)
Newsweek: Floating Abortion Clinic Off Gulf Coast Could Open In 2023, But Needs $20M
The idea is that patients in the southern parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas will be able to travel to the ship moored in federal waters to seek care at little to no cost. Those states have had abortion bans take effect since the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, although Louisiana's ban has been blocked by a judge while a lawsuit challenging it is resolved. (Rahman, 7/25)
San Francisco Chronicle: Will Laws Requiring California Doctors To Report Abuse Put Out-Of-State Abortion Patients At Risk? Here’s What We Know
It’s rare for the San Francisco Police Department to encounter a case like the one in Indiana, Public Information Officer Kathryn Winters said. If it were to happen, the department wouldn’t tell out-of-state authorities the minor had an abortion, she said. The department also would not identify the mandated reporter in its referral to an out-of-state agency because California law forbids disclosing their identity, she said. (Bollag, 7/25)
Also —
NPR: The Role Of Abortion Funds Is Growing In A Post-Roe World
Abortion funds raise and distribute money to people who need help paying for abortions, including procedure and travel costs. In 2020, funds across the country helped nearly 45,000 people pay for abortions. Most funds serve specific states or regions, while others focus on particular populations like Indigenous women. Some, like Floren's, are run entirely by volunteers. Others are part of clinics or larger organizations like Planned Parenthood. (Levi and Gorenstein, 7/25)
