Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Dems Plan Abortion-Rights Vote; Republicans Avoid National Ban Talk
Politico: More Than A Show Vote? Senate Dems Weigh Their Roe Plans
Senate Democrats are gearing up for an abortion-rights vote next week in response to the breach of a draft opinion that showed a Supreme Court majority prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade. They fully expect it to fall short of even 50 votes. In the wake of POLITICO’s report on the draft opinion, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer teed up a bill that would enshrine federal protections for abortion access, despite nearly identical legislation failing in the Senate at the end of February. And even as progressives on and off the Hill clamor for action to codify Roe before the Supreme Court has a chance to eliminate it, no one is expecting a different outcome now. (Levine and Ollstein, 5/4)
The Hill: Senate GOP Ducks Questions On Federal Abortion Bans
Senate Republicans are dodging questions about whether they would seek restrictions or bans on abortion at the federal level if the Supreme Court overturns the Roe v. Wade decision and the GOP wins win back congressional majorities. The strong possibility the GOP could get such a chance was signaled this week when a draft ruling by five conservative Supreme Court justices leaked to Politico. The draft did overturn Roe, though Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday said it did not represent the final views of the court. (Sullivan, 5/5)
The Wall Street Journal: After Supreme Court Opinion Draft Leak Overturning Roe V. Wade, Lawmakers Weigh Next Steps
Democratic and Republican leaders are weighing their next political steps on abortion after a leaked draft opinion suggested that the Supreme Court was poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. The prospect of such a ruling just months before midterm elections that will determine which party controls Congress has Senate Democratic leaders planning to put on the floor next week a bill to codify the existing abortion right laid out by Roe and related court decisions. It has no chance of passing because of Republican opposition in a 50-50 Senate, where procedures require a supermajority to advance most legislation. But Democrats could point to the blockade in an attempt to energize voters, particularly as some GOP-led states mobilize to enact laws banning the procedure. (Hughes and Wise, 5/4)
Politico: Roe Draft Supercharges Battle For State Control
With the Supreme Court poised to strike down Roe v. Wade, the next battle over abortion rights in America won’t be fought in Washington. Instead, it will be state-by-state trench warfare — particularly in a small universe of swing states that are poised to play an oversized role in the midterm election and the presidential race to come. (Montellaro and Otterbein, 5/4)
The Texas Tribune: Campaigning for Henry Cuellar, a Democratic U.S. House leader says party shouldn’t shun abortion opponents
The No. 3 Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives charged into a raging national firestorm over abortion rights Wednesday as he visited Texas to campaign with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a rare Democrat who opposes the practice, in his hotly contested primary runoff. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s trip was announced over a week ago, but it fell two days after Politico published a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that favors overturning Roe v. Wade. The timing of the news cast an uncomfortable spotlight on Cuellar — and the senior Democrats who support him — as he was the only House Democrat last year to vote against a proposal to codify Roe v. Wade. (Svitek, 5/4)
The Hill: Abortion Fight Puts Spotlight On Governors
The leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion striking down landmark precedents that protect the right to an abortion has upended the nation’s capital and the battle for control of the U.S. House and Senate. But it has increased pressure to an even greater degree on Democrats and Republicans vying to win governor’s mansions and state legislative chambers across the country, where the outcomes of this November’s midterm elections will determine just how far abortion rights advocates and opponents can advance their positions in the coming years. (Wilson, 5/4)
Also —
The Hill: Gaetz Faces Backlash For ‘Over-Educated’ Women Remark
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is facing backlash after questioning how many “over-educated, under-loved” women have participated in protests supporting abortion rights after a draft ruling from the Supreme Court showed that the bench is poised to roll back Roe v. Wade. “How many of the women rallying against overturning Roe are over-educated, under-loved millennials who sadly return from protests to a lonely microwave dinner with their cats, and no bumble matches?” Gaetz wrote on Twitter Wednesday morning. (Schnell, 5/4)
ABC News: Senator Brings Up Family's Abortion Story, As Future Of Roe V. Wade In Jeopardy
Sen. Gary Peters was one of the first sitting U.S. senators to share a personal family abortion story and, with the future of Roe v. Wade in doubt, he told his story to ABC News Live to underscore how devastating the loss of legal abortion will be for the country. In the late 1980s, Peters' first wife, Heidi, had to undergo an abortion procedure after her water broke during her second trimester. Peters warned that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, following reports on a leaked Supreme Court draft ruling, it will have a devastating effect on women and families who go through similar life-and-death situations. (Pereira, 5/4)
