Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Care A Talking Point In Democrats' Kavanaugh Strategy. But So Are Unions And Guns And LGBTQ Rights And ...
Reuters: Democrats Refocus Fight Against Trump's Supreme Court Nominee On Healthcare
Democrats on Wednesday were reorienting their uphill push to block U.S. Senate confirmation of President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, moving healthcare to the center of their strategy and putting less emphasis on abortion rights. While the two issues are closely linked, the change aligns with polling that shows healthcare is a major concern for swing-state voters ahead of November's congressional elections, with abortion rights more divisive. (Cowan, 7/11)
Politico: Dems Pitch Mixed Messages In Supreme Court Fight
As they start a Supreme Court battle with control of the Senate on the line, Democrats want to talk about Obamacare. And Roe v. Wade. And the special counsel’s investigation into President Donald Trump. That’s not to mention Democratic concerns about how Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would rule on guns, unions, voting rights and more. While the GOP is promoting Trump’s pick with a singular message — touting Kavanaugh’s ample qualifications — Democrats are offering multiple arguments against him that each speak to multiple parts of their base and the electorate. The multi-part strategy reflects a perennial challenge for a party that has struggled to succinctly communicate its agenda to voters. (Schor and Caygle, 7/12)
The Wall Street Journal: Health Law Is An Issue In Fight Over Supreme Court Pick Brett Kavanaugh
Almost any nomination to the high court spurs debates about abortion, affirmative action, and similar social issues. In this case, Democrats see the health-care issue as a particularly effective way to galvanize opposition to the Kavanaugh nomination, while the judge’s supporters say it shows the weakness of their case against him. “They will have, if they get this nominee, a Supreme Court ready to rule against protections for people with pre-existing conditions,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.). Organizations supporting the ACA plan to hold rallies and events in key battleground states such as Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio, hoping to mirror the strategy used to block the ACA repeal last year. (Armour and Peterson, 7/11)
Los Angeles Times: Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Lauded Late Chief Justice Rehnquist For Dissenting In Roe Vs. Wade And Supporting School Prayer
Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, gave a revealing speech last fall in which he lauded former Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist for having dissented in Roe vs. Wade and for rejecting the notion of “a wall of separation between church and state.” He also praised the late chief justice’s unsuccessful effort to throw out the so-called “exclusionary rule,” which forbids police from using illegally obtained evidence. (Savage, 7/11)
The Hill: Conservatives, Liberals Both Agree: Nominee A Pivotal Vote On Abortion
Conservatives and liberals alike think Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh could shift the Supreme Court further right on abortion issues. The question, they say, is not whether Kavanaugh’s addition to the court would be a shift, but whether it will lead to a complete overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion or the upholding of restrictions that would make the decision obsolete. (Hellmann, 7/11)
The New York Times: Democrats Zero In On Kavanaugh’s Defense Of Presidential Power
Democrats who once saw health care and abortion as their best lines of attack against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, are recalibrating their approach to go after him for his view that a sitting president should not have to answer questions in a criminal case, much less face indictment. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said in an interview on Wednesday that Judge Kavanaugh’s belief in broad presidential authority was “just off the deep end.” (Stolberg, 7/11)
The Associated Press: Smile! Supreme Court Nominees And The Art Of The Schmooze
Brett Kavanaugh's wooing of the Senate is part of a time-honored tradition, including awkward grip-and-grin photo ops and light conversation that skirts the contentious issues that lie ahead. Here's what to watch for as Kavanaugh makes the rounds on Capitol Hill ahead of his confirmation hearing to become the next Supreme Court justice. (Flaherty, 7/11)
The Washington Post: Every Current Supreme Court Justice Attended Harvard Or Yale. That’s A Problem, Say Decision-Making Experts.
It is not hard to see similarities between President Trump’s last two Supreme Court nominees: They are both white male conservatives who attended Ivy League law schools, clerked for retiring Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and went to the same exclusive private prep school. The elite background does not end with them. If the Senate approves Trump’s nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, every justice sitting on the Supreme Court will have attended either Yale's or Harvard’s law school. (Ruth Bader Ginsburg started at Harvard and transferred to another Ivy, Columbia.) (Wan, 7/11)
The Associated Press: 2 Supreme Court Nominations Made, Trump May Have None To Go
What would it take for President Donald Trump to get yet another Supreme Court pick? Probably the death of a justice. Trump has speculated that he could appoint a majority of the nine-member court. But it has been three decades since a president has been able to name more than two justices to their life-tenured posts, and Trump tied that number this week. The court's oldest remaining justices, two liberals and a conservative who are 85, 79 and 70, haven't suggested they're going anywhere and appear in fine health. (Gresko, 7/12)
