Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Amends Defense Bill To Require Abortion Policies To Be Rolled Back
The 19th: House Votes To Eliminate Abortion Provisions In 2024 Defense Bill
After the Supreme Court’ decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization landed last year, ending the federal right to an abortion, the Biden administration issued new rules to assist service members and military dependents who had to travel across state lines for abortion services. However, House members voted 221-213 Thursday night to pass an amendment eliminating these abortion provisions from the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual defense spending bill. (Padilla, 7/13)
The New York Times: Defense Bill’s Fate Teeters After G.O.P. Wedges In Social Issues
The fate of the annual defense bill was in doubt on Friday, after Republicans loaded the legislation with a raft of conservative social policy restrictions limiting access to abortions, gender transition procedures and diversity training for military personnel, alienating Democrats whose votes G.O.P. leaders had seen as crucial to passing the legislation. (Demirjian, 7/14)
The Texas Tribune: U.S. House Adopts Texan’s Amendment Blocking Pentagon Abortion Policy
A sharply divided U.S. House voted Thursday to amend the annual defense policy bill to ban a Biden administration policy that allowed service members to be reimbursed for abortion-related travel and other expenses. U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Amarillo, introduced the amendment with the backing of Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, and 70 other Republican co-sponsors. Jackson argued that the Department of Defense policy violates the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of federal funds for abortion. (Alafriz, 7/13)
The president spoke on politics versus reproductive health —
CNN: Biden Slams Tuberville's Block Of Military Promotions As 'Irresponsible' And 'Jeopardizing US Security'
President Joe Biden said Thursday that Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville is being “irresponsible” and jeopardizing national security by blocking military promotions over his objections to the Defense Department’s reproductive health policies. (Saenz and Collins, 7/13)
Also in the bill, a boost for psychedelics —
Reuters: US Lawmakers Make Bipartisan Push For Psychedelics Research In Defense Bill
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on Thursday pushed to include a provision allowing medical research of psychedelic drugs as part of a sweeping annual defense policy bill, saying it could help treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other ailments despite possible concerns. "These are powerful substances, I don't want to give that short shrift," Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who first sponsored a bill on the topic in 2019, told a Capitol Hill press conference. "But they also have powerful potential as well." (Warburton, 7/13)
