Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Tuberville Holds Up 184 More Military Promotions In Abortion Policy Protest
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama blocked 184 military promotions Tuesday in the latest chapter of his protest against the Pentagon's new abortion policy.聽The drama unfolded in the Senate as聽Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, moved a request to allow the promotions and Tuberville blocked the action.聽(Woodall, 4/25)
On the issue of abortion in the 2024 election 鈥
The Biden administration wasted little time making it clear that abortion access will be a cornerstone of President Biden's 2024 re-election bid as red states continue to enact bans and restrictions. Last year's midterm elections showed voter sentiment breaking for new protections for abortion rights following the fall of Roe v. Wade. Biden is hoping he can replicate that. (Gonzalez, 4/26)
Vice President Kamala Harris opened the 2024 presidential campaign with a warning to Republican leaders who want to scale back聽access to abortion: Don't get in our way. Appearing before Democratic activists and young voters,聽Harris launched into a fiery attack on Republican-led聽states and anti-abortion groups that have been making use of聽legislatures and聽friendly courts to limit access to the procedure. (Chambers, 4/25)
In remarks described by her campaign as a 鈥渕ajor policy speech on abortion,鈥 Haley emphasized her support for abortion restrictions and her long history supporting policies that restrict access to the procedure. At the same time, she made a bid for support from moderate women voters by talking about her struggles with infertility, her husband鈥檚 adoption and a friend鈥檚 rape 鈥 and urged empathy for people facing unplanned pregnancies. (Barclay, 4/25)
Former Vice President Mike Pence told a legal group Tuesday in Washington that the next Republican administration should work to curtail the power of executive agencies and pointed to recent legal fights over abortion access. 鈥淩estraining and reclaiming the legislative prerogatives of the legislative branch from the administrative state should be one of the most important objectives of the next Republican administration,鈥 Pence said at an event put on by the Federalist Society. (Tarinelli, 4/25)