Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Plans Vote On Abortion Bill, But Senate Future Is Sealed
The New York Times: With Roe Under Threat, House Plans To Vote On Bill To Counter Abortion Curbs
House Democrats plan on Friday to push through broad legislation to uphold abortion rights, taking urgent action after a major Supreme Court setback as they brace for a ruling next year that could further roll back access to abortion nationwide. The House vote will be largely symbolic given that the bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, has little chance of advancing because of Republican opposition in the Senate. But House Democrats’ decision to consider it reflects their view that the issue could resonate strongly in the midterm elections next year, particularly if female voters see the Supreme Court action as a threat to rights that many believed had been long settled. (Hulse, 9/23)
KHN: Democrats Roll The Dice On Sweeping Abortion Rights Bill — Again
A newly conservative Supreme Court agreed to hear a case most assumed it would use to overrule the 1973 landmark abortion-rights ruling, Roe v. Wade. And Democrats on Capitol Hill, convinced the issue would play to their political favor, vowed to bring up legislation that would write abortion protections into federal law. “We’ll debate it. We’ll vote on it. And we’ll pass it,” the Senate Democratic leader promised. Sound familiar? The year was 1992. The Supreme Court case in question was Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. After the court surprised almost everyone by upholding the right to abortion, the legislation, called the “Freedom of Choice Act,” never reached the floor of the Senate, nor the House. (Click on the hyperlink to go back in time.) (Rovner, 9/23)
Forbes: Sen. Susan Collins Says She Won’t Back Abortion Rights Bill, Likely Dooming Its Chances Of Passing
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) will not support a bill that would protect the legal right to an abortion, she told the Los Angeles Times, likely killing Democrats’ hope of using the legislation to block Texas’ near-total abortion ban and other state restrictions. Collins told the Times on Tuesday she opposes the Women’s Health Protection Act because it goes “way beyond” enshrining the right to an abortion in federal law and she finds its language “extreme.” (Durkee, 9/22)
Newsweek: Lauren Boebert Says Rape Victims Need Guns Rather Than Access To Abortion
Rep. Lauren Boebert has suggested that rape victims need guns to protect themselves rather than access to abortions. Speaking on the House floor, the Republican congresswoman from Colorado criticized Democrats who are planning to vote on legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that protects the right to choose to have an abortion. She also claimed that the procedures were not safe for women. (Palmer, 9/23)
A Florida lawmaker wants to ban most abortions in the state —
CNN: Restrictive Abortion Bill Introduced In Florida Mirrors Controversial Texas Law
A Republican Florida state lawmaker on Wednesday introduced a bill that is modeled after a strict Texas law prohibiting abortions after six weeks, drawing condemnation from supporters of abortion rights who fear such legislation might soon be introduced in other states. House Bill 167 was filed by Florida state Rep. Webster Barnaby. The bill, like the Texas law, contains a procedural feature that allows private citizens to bring lawsuits against physicians who provide abortions after six weeks as well as any person who "knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion." The Florida legislation, like the Texas law, also provides for remedies and damages. (Cole and de Vogue, 9/22)
California approves privacy laws for abortion providers —
AP: California Governor Signs Privacy Laws For Abortion Patients
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws on Wednesday that aim to protect the privacy of abortion providers and their patients, declaring California to be a “reproductive freedom state” while drawing a sharp contrast with Texas and its efforts to limit the procedure. One law makes it a crime to film people within 100 feet (30 meters) of an abortion clinic for the purpose of intimidation — a law abortion rights groups believe to be the first of its kind in the country. The other law makes it easier for people on their parents’ insurance plans to keep sensitive medical information secret, including abortions. (Beam, 9/22)
Arizona's abortion law is scrutinized —
AP: Judge Considers Request To Block Arizona Abortion Law
A lawyer for several Arizona abortion providers urged a federal judge Wednesday to block a new state law that would allow prosecutors to charge doctors who knowingly terminate a pregnancy solely because the fetus has a genetic abnormality such as Down syndrome. The law, set to take effect on Wednesday, is so vague that it would dissuade doctors from performing an abortion anytime there’s an indication that the fetus might have a genetic problem for fear of criminal prosecution, argued Emily Nestler, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights. (Cooper, 9/23)
Arizona Republic: Does Arizona Law Act As A Ban On Abortion? Judge Weighs Request To Block Its Implementation
Groups seeking to overturn part of Arizona's newest law restricting abortion took their case before a federal judge on Wednesday, just one week before doctors who perform the procedure could face criminal penalties including prison time in certain circumstances. The measure — passed by the Republican-majority Legislature and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey in April — makes it a crime for medical providers to terminate a pregnancy based on genetic conditions such as Down syndrome or cystic fibrosis. (Barchenger, 9/22)
