Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With The Attention Of The Nation On The Supreme Court, Justices Once Again Kick Can Down Road On Abortion
Bloomberg: U.S. Supreme Court Again Defers Action On Abortion Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday deferred acting on state efforts to put more restrictions on abortion, issuing a list of orders without mentioning two pending Indiana appeals. The appeals were on a list of cases the justices could have discussed at their private conference last week. In one, the state is seeking to bar abortions motivated by the risk of a genetic disorder and require clinics to bury or cremate fetal remains. In the other, Indiana aims to reinstate a requirement that an ultrasound be performed at least 18 hours before an abortion. The Supreme Court maneuvering comes amid an explosion in abortion debate. (Stohr, 5/20)
The Associated Press: US Judge To Consider Blocking New Mississippi Abortion Law
Inside Mississippi's only abortion clinic, administrator Shannon Brewer has been fielding phone calls from women who want to know whether they can still terminate a pregnancy if they think they might be more than a few weeks along. The confusion comes from a Mississippi law that's set to ban abortions after a fetus's heartbeat is detected: about six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. The clinic has sued to block it, and a judge was scheduled to hear arguments on the request Tuesday. (Pettus, 5/20)
The Washington Post: Court Case Seeking To Overturn Abortion Restrictions Opens In Virginia
A federal trial opened Monday with activists challenging four state laws that restrict abortion, including requirements that clinics meet stringent licensing standards, that patients get an ultrasound at least 24 hours before an abortion and that only doctors perform the procedure in the first trimester. Abortion is a relatively safe procedure for the woman, carrying less risk than a colonoscopy, plastic surgery or tonsillectomy, an expert witness testified for activists bringing the suit. Even some dental procedures pose greater danger. (Vozzella, 5/20)
The Associated Press: Abortion Clinic Asks Full Appeals Court To Rehear Case
A Kentucky abortion clinic is asking a federal appeals court to rehear an appeal in the case of a state law that requires doctors to perform ultrasounds and show fetal images to patients prior to abortions. A divided panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last month that the 2017 law is constitutional, reversing a lower court judge. Attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union, representing the Louisville abortion clinic, filed a petition Monday asking that the full appeals court hear the case. The petition cites a First Amendment issue of “exceptional importance.” (5/20)
The Associated Press: Gov: Abortion Ban Shows Alabama Values 'Sanctity Of Life'
Alabama's governor said Monday the new abortion ban she recently signed into law reflects the high value residents place on the "sanctity of life," adding she doesn't expect any fallout from the controversial measure on tourism or business recruitment. Gov. Kay Ivey last week approved the most stringent abortion law in the nation— making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases unless necessary for the mother's health. The law provides no exception for rape and incest. (Chandler, 5/20)
The Wall Street Journal: State Abortion Curbs Reverberate In Presidential Race
In the days since this state’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved a near-total ban on abortion, the debate over abortion rights has taken a central role in the 2020 presidential race. Several Democratic presidential hopefuls have made abortion a central issue in the past week on the campaign trail, in policy platforms, cable television interviews, targeted digital ads, fundraising and outreach to supporters in a way that appears to be energizing the Democratic primary base. (Parti, 5/20)
The Wall Street Journal: Planned Parenthood Head Says Abortion Is Still Legal Despite Restrictive Laws
Some women living in states that passed laws restricting or banning abortion are acting as though the procedure is already illegal, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America said on Monday, despite the fact the new laws haven’t yet gone into effect. “Patients are deeply worried,” said Leana Wen, speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival on Monday. She said some women were afraid of attending appointments and others had tried to move them up. “They are worried that abortion is already illegal and they have to take measures into their own hands,” added Dr. Wen, a doctor who became president of the organization in November. (Ramey, 5/20)
The Philadelphia Inquirer/Philly.com: Abortion Debate Revives Question: Are The Unborn Being Favored Over Children Born Into Poverty?
Abortion-rights advocates ask why many Republicans who talk about saving fetuses also advocate cuts to safety-net programs that help low-income children and their families. For their part, many antiabortion advocates say that their stance of protecting life at all costs outweighs any other considerations. (Lubrano, 5/20)
Politico: Faith-Based Clinics Sue HHS Over Family Planning Program Rules
A California chain of faith-based clinics is suing HHS, claiming it can't administer more than $5 million in federal family planning funds because current program rules infringe on its First Amendment rights. The complaint in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif., states the Obria Group has been put in an untenable situation because courts temporarily stayed new Trump administration rules for the Title X program that would have, among other things, barred providers in the program from offering or referring patients for abortions. Instead, Obria has to comply with existing standards that require recipients to offer contraception and counseling that includes discussing abortion. (Colliver, 5/20)
