Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Is There Room Left In Democratic Party For Anti-Abortion Lawmakers? One Race May Reveal That Answer
Politico: Liberals Hope To Finally Oust Anti-Abortion Democrat
The ascendant Democratic left may have found the opening it needs to finally dislodge one of the party’s few anti-abortion House members in next month's Illinois primary. The effort to defeat Rep. Dan Lipinski, who represents part of Chicago and its southwest suburbs, is drawing presidential contenders and the state’s top Democratic leaders. And if liberals succeed in ousting the self-proclaimed moderate, it would leave just two House Democrats who oppose abortion rights. (Kapos, 2/20)
In other news on abortion —
Texas Tribune: Baby Tinslee Lewis' Case Attracts Attention From Anti-Abortion Groups
When Tinslee Lewis turned 1 in early February, she spent her birthday with family by her bedside and hundreds of well-wishers on social media. But the infant was heavily sedated, her body swollen, partially paralyzed and hooked to the ventilator that has kept her alive for much of the past year. Tinslee has never seen the outside of the intensive care unit of Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, and she may never get the chance. Tinslee’s doctors, who say continuing treatment is futile and causing her to suffer, want to take her off life support. But her mother, Trinity Lewis, is battling the hospital in court in a desperate fight for Tinslee’s life. Lewis’ efforts have attracted the backing of conservative elected officials and a prominent anti-abortion organization. They have painted Tinslee’s case as a fundamental “right to life” issue in a legal battle to strike down a law that protects doctors’ right to deny “inappropriate” medical treatment. (Justin, 2/20)
