If Elected, These Two Doctors Would Be Only Pro-Choice OB-GYNs In Congress
As The 19th points out, 19 physicians serve in the U.S. Congress — 15 in the House of Representatives and four in the Senate. Currently, only two of them are OB-GYNs; both are male Republicans who oppose abortion. Plus: Stat looks at key races and ballot issues that could shape health care.
The 19th:
These OB-GYNs Are Running For Congress To Protect Abortion
Dr. Kirstin Lyerly saw a patient this month who wanted her IUD replaced but was nervous about the potential pain. It was toward the end of the day and there wasn’t enough time for the patient to pick up a prescription to relieve her anxiety and return, so Lyerly suggested they reschedule the procedure for a later date. “She looked me square in the eye and said: I have to do it now, I have to get it now, I have to get it done before the election, because I don’t know what’s going to happen after the election,” Lyerly recalled. (Becker, 10/23)
Time:
What A Trump Win Would Mean For Abortion
Donald Trump has repeatedly refused to say if he would veto a national ban if it crossed his desk as President—a scenario that’s highly unlikely unless Republicans earn significant majorities in both chambers of Congress. The Trump campaign did not answer this question in its statement. (Lee, 10/23)
Time:
What A Harris Win Would Mean For Abortion
Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris has positioned herself as the reproductive rights candidate, vowing to restore reproductive freedoms and garnering endorsements from organizations like the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF), the Committee to Protect Health Care, and Reproductive Freedom for All. She has promised to support a bill restoring Roe’s protections or veto any national abortion ban. (Lee, 10/23)
NPR:
Want To Understand The Dramatic Shift In Latino Views On Abortion? Go To Arizona
It’s 108 degrees outside as Mayra Rodriguez guides her Winnebago into the parking lot of a Hispanic grocery store in North Phoenix, a few weeks before election day. Rodriguez is the state director for Moms for Arizona, an anti-abortion group campaigning against Proposition 139, a ballot measure that would expand access to abortion in the state. Her Winnebago is a roving billboard, emblazoned with warnings about what she believes are the dangers of abortion — English on one side, Spanish on the other. (Caldwell, Chang and Troop, 10/24)
NOTUS (Allbritton Journalism Institute):
It’s Possible To Track Someone’s Personal Phone To An Abortion Clinic. And It’s Legal Too.
A company got access to a mobile phone-tracking tool used by law enforcement and U.S. government agencies across the country. They found significant privacy vulnerabilities. (Tau, 10/23)
In other election news —
Stat:
The Key Ballot Measures And Races To Watch That Could Reshape Health Care
While Vice President Harris and former President Trump are dominating the headlines in the last two weeks before the election, there is a lengthy list of health care proposals and down-ballot races that could heavily shape health policy. More than a dozen states are voting on health care issues ranging from abortion access to psychedelics use, paying for long-term care, and medically assisted suicide. (Owermohle, 10/24)
Stat:
Kamala Harris Election Win Could Bring Big Changes To Health Care
If Vice President Harris wins the presidency, in many ways, she’ll work to achieve health care ideas that Democrats couldn’t quite push across the finish line during President Biden’s tenure. (Zhang, 10/24)
The Hill:
Harris, Trump Clash Over Future Of ObamaCare
Vice President Harris wants to put ObamaCare front and center in the campaign’s final weeks. Abortion has been the primary health issue for much of the campaign, but Harris is reopening Democrats’ successful 2018 playbook by elevating the Affordable Care Act. ... Early in the campaign, Trump revived his previous calls for repealing the law and replacing it with something better. Senate Republicans were quick to shut down any talk of bringing up repeal again, even if they were to control the government. Lately, Trump has slightly shifted his tone. (Weixel, 10/24)
KFF Health News:
Voters Fret High Medical Bills Are Being Ignored By Presidential Rivals
Tom Zawierucha, 58, a building services worker in New Jersey, wishes candidates would talk more about protecting older Americans from big medical bills. Teresa Morton, 43, a freight dispatcher in Memphis, Tennessee, with two teenagers, wants to hear more about how elected officials would help working Americans saddled with unaffordable deductibles. (Levey, 10/24)
