Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pharmacist Bill Introduced As Republicans Walk Abortion Tightrope
Politico: House Republicans Are Pushing A Bill To Undo Biden Administration Abortion Rights Guidance To Pharmacies Nationwide
House Republicans are introducing a bill today to roll back recent Biden administration guidance that warns the nation’s pharmacies of legal and financial consequences if they refuse to dispense abortion or contraception medication. The “Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act,” led by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and first shared with POLITICO, would give pharmacists freer rein to refuse to provide medication they suspect could be used to terminate a pregnancy. (Miranda Ollstein, 9/14)
The Hill: House GOP Leaders Hedge On 15-Week Abortion Ban
House Republicans will not commit to bringing up a 15-week abortion ban legislation if the party wins control of the House next year. “First we’d need to see what our majority looks like,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in a news conference on Wednesday when asked if Republicans would put a 15-week abortion ban bill on the floor, adding: “We are a party that defends life. We stand up for life.” (Brooks, 9/14)
Miami Herald: Rubio Signs Onto Federal Bill Blocking Abortions After 15 Weeks
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is co-sponsoring a bill that would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks, an aide confirmed Wednesday, throwing support behind a measure that both aligns with his longstanding desire to restrict access to abortion and risks complicating his reelection bid less than two months before Election Day. (Roarty, 9/14)
NBC News: Republican Candidate Tests A Novel Strategy On Abortion In Nevada House Race
April Becker doesn’t want to talk about abortion. As Democrats seek to make the November elections a referendum on Republican efforts to restrict abortion rights, the GOP nominee challenging Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in a competitive House district in Nevada is pursuing a highly unusual strategy: arguing that Congress doesn’t have the power to regulate abortion. ... Becker’s opinion is exceedingly rare and has drawn condemnation from both sides of the abortion debate, an indication of the tightrope she is walking. (Kapur, 9/15)
The 19th: Americans Don’t Trust Politicians To Make Abortion Laws, Poll Finds
The vast majority of Americans — 7 in 10 — do not believe politicians are informed enough about abortion to craft fair policies, according to a new 19th News/SurveyMonkey poll. (Luthra and Mithani, 9/15)
On anti-abortion groups and crisis pregnancy centers —
NPR: Anti-Abortion Groups Are Getting More Calls For Help With Unplanned Pregnancies
On a summer day in a quiet neighborhood outside Houston, Pam Whitehead is sitting at the kitchen table of a split-level home, taking calls from women who are pregnant and need help. "We were preparing for this in advance," Whitehead says. "We knew this was coming, we anticipated it, and we knew that we needed to prepare to be able to serve women." Whitehead is the executive director of ProLove Ministries, a group that opposes abortion and tries to persuade women not to have them. She says calls to her group's hotline have been increasing – first, starting about a year ago, after the law known as S.B. 8 banned most abortions in Texas after about six weeks. They've continued – and come from across the country – since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.(McCammon, 9/14)
