Justice Dept. To Challenge States To Prevent ‘Overreach’ On Abortion

The Washington Post: Justice Dept. Announces Task Force To Fight Overreach On Abortion Bans 
The Justice Department is launching a “reproductive rights task force” to marshal federal legal resources aimed at preventing overreach from state and local governments seeking to impose new bans on abortion access after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, officials said Tuesday. Justice officials said the move should consolidate work that was underway in the months leading up to the high court’s June decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which struck down federal safeguards for abortion that had stood for five decades. (Nakamura and Roubein, 7/12)

The U.S. territory of Guam clarifies its stance on abortion —

AP: Telemedicine Abortion Continues On Guam After Roe Overturned
Guam’s attorney general said a 1990 law that prohibited virtually all abortion is invalid and won’t take effect even though the U.S. Supreme Court last month overturned the national right to abortion outlined in Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that legalized abortion nationwide. That means the status quo allowing women to obtain abortions via telemedicine may continue in the predominantly Catholic U.S. territory in the Pacific. (McAvoy, 7/13)

In abortion news from Capitol Hill —

Politico: Congress Tees Up Bills To Protect Travel For Abortion
Bills aimed at protecting a person’s ability to cross state lines to seek reproductive care could see action in the House and Senate later this week — though neither bill has a clear path to becoming law, especially in the Senate. The House plans to bring its bill to the floor on Friday; Senate Democratic leadership could attempt to call the bill up for a voice vote on the Senate floor later this week, though Republicans are expected to block it. (Snyder and Ollstein, 7/12)

Houston Chronicle: Rep. Lizzie Fletcher Leads Effort To Protect Travel For Abortions
Many groups that helped Texans travel out of state for abortions since the state’s six-week abortion ban went into effect in September 2021 have paused their operations to review the ruling and its impact. The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, authored by U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, a Houston Democrat, would make it clear that the freedom to travel to other states is a constitutional right, and would prohibit states from restricting travel for those seeking to obtain a lawful abortion. (Wermund, 7/12)

Roll Call: Senate Judiciary Kicks Off Series Of Abortion Policy Hearings
The Judiciary hearing is the first of five congressional hearings on the aftermath of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision to be held over an eight-day period. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, House Oversight and Reform, House Judiciary and House Energy and Commerce committees will also have hearings in the coming days. (Raman, 7/12)

AP: DNC Ads Warn Voters That GOP Wants Nationwide Abortion Ban
The Democratic National Committee is launching a digital ad campaign to energize its voters after last month’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, warning that Republicans’ ultimate goal is to outlaw abortion nationwide. The committee is sponsoring an at least $10,000 ad buy beginning Tuesday on the websites of more than 20 lifestyle publications, including Teen Vogue, Refinery29, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Essence, GQ, Men’s Health and Esquire. (Weissert, 7/12)

On insurance coverage —

KHN: Three Things To Know About Insurance Coverage For Abortion 
Will your health plan pay for an abortion now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade? Even before the June 24 ruling, insurance coverage for abortion varied widely. Now the issue is even more complex as states set varying rules — about half are expected to limit or ban abortion in almost all circumstances. (Appleby, 7/13)