Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senators Say Upcoming Abortion Case Could Trigger Revamp Of High Court
The Hill: Democrats: Roe V. Wade Blow Would Fuel Expanding Supreme Court
Democratic senators say if the Supreme Court strikes a blow against Roe v. Wade by upholding a Mississippi abortion law, it will fuel an effort to add justices to the court or otherwise reform it. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority this week agreed to hear the Mississippi case, which could dramatically narrow abortion rights by allowing states to make it illegal to get an abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. (Bolton, 5/24)
KHN: KHN Journalists Comment On Abortion Case, Wasted Covid Doses
KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a challenge in an abortion case from Mississippi on Newsy on Tuesday. KHN freelancer Sara Reardon discussed allegations by a rail company that a clinic in Libby, Montana, is defrauding Medicare by overdiagnosing asbestos-related diseases on Montana Public Radio on May 13. (5/22)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
Stat: Health Care Providers Hope To Cash In Through Congress' Earmark Process
Earmarks are back, and so is the health care industry’s insatiable appetite to get a piece of them. A decade ago, Republicans banned the congressional funding process that allowed lawmakers to request earmarks, or money for pet projects in their home districts. But with Democrats in charge of both chambers of Congress, the requests are being permitted again, with some caveats. (Cohrs, 5/24)
Politico: Summertime Scramble: Dems Sweating A Pileup Of Big Votes On Biden's Agenda
This summer will be the furthest thing from a vacation for congressional Democrats. President Joe Biden's party is gearing up to sprint through Washington's sweltering season, trying to squeeze through a long list of top legislative priorities in barely two months. With Biden's sprawling infrastructure plan stuck in bipartisan talks, a voting rights bill mired in the Senate and the fate of police reform hanging in the air, Democrats acknowledge that time is not necessarily on their side. (Levine and Ferris, 5/24)
Axios: What's At Stake For Employers In Congress's Drug Pricing Fight
Employers and their workers have hundreds of billions of dollars at stake in the fight over House Democrats' drug pricing bill, according to a new West Health Policy Center analysis. If anyone has the political clout to take on the drug industry, it's employers. The House bill could reduce employer health spending by $195 billion between 2023 and 2029, West Health estimates, noting that this is a conservative scenario. (Owens, 5/21)
Roll Call: Suited Up, K Street Returns
After more than a year of virtual-only advocacy because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the freshly vaccinated lobbying set is reemerging for real-life meetings on the Hill and in-person fundraisers, as well as meals and sit-downs to reconnect with clients and coworkers. Still, many say they expect the Zoom life to carry on, as the industry wrestles with the future of lobbying and seeks to balance the grind of face time with the irreplaceable intimacy of face-to-face encounters. (Ackley, 5/24)
AP: Rand Paul Says He's Skipping Vaccine For Now, May Reconsider
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said on a radio show he won’t be getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but that he might change his mind if people who previously contracted the disease are getting reinfected at a greater rate than those who are vaccinated. The Republican — more than a year after contracting COVID-19 — said on a podcast released Sunday on WABC-AM in New York that he doesn’t want the federal government ordering him around. (5/23)
