Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Texas Democrats Align On Abortion As They Battle To Unseat GOP's Ted Cruz
Austin American-Statesman: Border, Abortion And Guns Dominate Debate Among Democrats Seeking To Topple Ted Cruz
Democratic candidates seeking to distinguish themselves from the field in challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, faced off in Austin on Sunday in an attempt to both share their visions for addressing the issues facing the state and earn the support of organized labor advocates. The Democratic primary debate, hosted by the AFL-CIO, featured U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio and state Rep. Carl Sherman of DeSoto. ... All three candidates took similar stances on abortion and women's access to health care, condemning recent actions overturning the nationwide right to an abortion. "What's happening within our families in our state is nothing short of a tragedy," Allred said. "And we have to restore this right." (Gore and Moritz, 1/28)
Dallas Morning News: Texas Democrats Running For U.S. Senate Differ On Israel, Health Care, Border Security
Texas Democrats running for the U.S. Senate have plenty of disagreements with Ted Cruz, the Republican incumbent they’re seeking to replace. But they also differ among themselves on some of the largest issues facing the country. A crowded field of Democrats is seeking the nomination. The most prominent are U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio and state Rep. Carl Sherman of DeSoto. ... Sherman emphasized the need for Texas to expand Medicaid. Pressed on whether he would support a Medicare-for-all-style plan, Sherman said he would “support moving in that direction.” (Morton, 1/26)
In other election news —
NPR: House Democratic Candidates Make Abortion Access Top Focus Of '24 Campaigns
Arizona Democrat Kirsten Engel ran and lost a 2022 House race for a seat representing the Tucson area. She's seeking a rematch against now-incumbent Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani. She thinks this time will be different. "My opponent now has a voting record," she told NPR, referencing Ciscomani's vote for a GOP spending bill that would back FDA rules enacted after the 2022 Supreme Court Dobbs decision that make it easier to access the abortion-inducing drug mifepristone. She says abortion is a top-of-mind issue for voters in her district: "It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat, an independent or a Republican. Women feel very deeply about this issue, that their rights have been stripped away." (Davis, 1/28)
Time: Inside The Biden Campaign's Blame-Trump Strategy On Abortion
Kelsey Lawrence is a 30-year-old mother with four kids living in Front Royal, Virginia. She thought of herself having conservative and libertarian views before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, paving the way for Republicans to pass abortion bans and restrictions in 21 states. Now there’s no question about it: she’s voting for Joe Biden. “I think every woman should have autonomy over her body,” Lawrence says, as she waits in a concert hall in Manassas, Virginia on Tuesday for a Biden campaign rally to start. On the backdrop of the stage, massive white block letters read “Restore Roe.” (Bennett, 1/26)
More abortion news —
News Service of Florida: Hialeah Clinic Will Pay $10,000 Fine For Violating Abortion Waiting Period Law
A Miami-Dade County clinic will pay a $10,000 fine as part of a settlement with the state over allegations that the clinic did not properly comply with a law requiring information to be provided to women at least 24 hours before abortions. The settlement between A Hialeah Women Center and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration was posted Wednesday on the state Division of Administrative Hearings website. (1/28)
The Hill: ‘Rage’ Abortion Donations Dry Up, Leaving Funds Struggling To Meet Demand
Abortion funds that help people cover the costs of getting the procedure are struggling with money as the waves of donations that followed the end of Roe v. Wade have begun to dry up. It’s led some of the independent organizations — which help cover expenses for abortions and associated costs, such as transportation, child care, and lodging — to scale back or even pause operations. (Weixel, 1/28)
AP: Abortion: GOP Legislatures In Some States Trying To Keep Issue Off The Ballot
Legislative efforts in Missouri and Mississippi are attempting to prevent voters from having a say over abortion rights, building on anti-abortion strategies seen in other states, including last year in Ohio. Democrats and abortion rights advocates say the efforts are evidence that Republican lawmakers and abortion opponents are trying to undercut democratic processes meant to give voters a direct role in forming state laws. (Fernando, 1/29)
