Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Moves To Sidestep Tuberville's Military Holds Over Abortion Policy
The Hill: Senate Panel Will Move Resolution Tuesday To Break Tuberville’s Hold On Military Nominees
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that the Senate Rules Committee will mark up a resolution Tuesday to confirm more than 350 nonpolitical military promotions at once, circumventing a hold that Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) has had in place for nine months to protest the Pentagon’s abortion policy. The Democratic leader said once the Rules Committee approves the measure, he will bring it to the Senate floor for a vote “as soon as possible.” (Bolton, 11/13)
Military.com: Pentagon Abortion Policy At Center Of Senate Fight Expected To Cost Just $1 Million A Year, Analysis Says
The Pentagon abortion policy at the center of a bitter political fight that has jammed up hundreds of military promotions is likely to cost less than $1 million annually, according to a recent analysis published in a medical journal. The low estimated cost relative to the Pentagon's more than $800 billion budget is unlikely to shift the political debate since opponents of Pentagon policy argue that not a single taxpayer dollar should go toward abortion-related expenses. But the analysis comes as the Senate has been scrambling to find a way to end the blockade Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has maintained on senior officer promotions for nearly nine months. (Kheel, 11/13)
In other reproductive health care news —
KHOL/ Jackson Hole Community Radio: Jackson’s Only Abortion Provider Is Shutting Its Doors Due To High Costs
After thirty years in the business, the Women’s Health and Family Care clinic is closing down next month due to rising costs, such as rent. It’s the only clinic that provides abortions in the region, and its closure may mean a six-week gap in pregnancy-ending care. For that time, the closest in-person abortion provider will be more than four hours away, 280 miles, in Casper. (Merzbach, 11/13)
News Service of Florida: Backers Of A Proposed Abortion Amendment Fire Back At Moody's 'Viability' Argument
Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment that would ensure abortion rights in Florida have fired back at Attorney General Ashley Moody’s arguments that the measure should be blocked from the 2024 ballot. The political committee Floridians Protecting Freedom, which is sponsoring the proposal, filed a brief late Friday at the Florida Supreme Court disputing Moody’s contention that the measure would be misleading to voters. (Saunders, 11/13)
The 19th: Abortion Bans Are Hindering Access To Domestic Violence Screenings
As more abortion bans have gone into effect across the country, it has become far more difficult to perform a standard element of gynecological care: screening patients for domestic abuse. (Gerson and Luthra, 11/13)
Also —
The Washington Post: She Was Born With A Second Uterus. She’s Pregnant In Both
When Kelsey Hatcher visited her obstetrician for an ultrasound this year, she smiled when an image of a healthy fetus appeared on the screen. Before leaving, Hatcher asked the nurse for further examination. Hatcher had been born with a second uterus, and she wanted the nurse to check on the health of that one, too. The nurse at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s hospital spread gel on the opposite side of Hatcher’s abdomen and went over it with the wand. They couldn’t believe what they saw on the screen. (Melnick, 11/14)
