吃瓜不打烊

Skip to main content

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.

Subscribe Follow Us
  • Trump 2.0

    Trump 2.0

    • Agency Watch
    • State Watch
    • Rural Health Payout
  • Public Health

    Public Health

    • Vaccines
    • CDC & Disease
    • Environmental Health
    All Public Health
  • Audio Reports

    Audio Reports

    • What the Health?
    • Healthcare Helpline
    • 吃瓜不打烊 Minute
    • An Arm and a Leg
    • Health Hub
    • HealthQ
    • Silence in Sikeston
    • Epidemic
    All Audio
  • Special Reports

    Special Reports

    • Bill Of The Month
    • Common Ground
    • Diagnosis: Debt
    • The Body Shops
    • Priced Out
    • Guns, Race, and Profit
    • Broken Rehab
    • Dead Zone
    • Denied
    • Opioid Settlement Tracking
    • Eleven Minutes
    All Special Reports
  • More Topics

    More Topics

    • Elections
    • Healthcare Costs
    • Insurance
    • Prescription Drugs
    • Health Industry
    • Immigration
    • Reproductive Health
    • Technology
    • Rural Health
    • Race and Health
    • Aging
    • Mental Health
    • Affordable Care Act
    • Medicare
    • Medicaid
    • Children’s Health
    All Topics

  • Medicare Advantage Billing Probe
  • School Vaccine Mandates
  • Weight Loss Drugs Coverage
  • Opioid Settlement Money
  • Abortion Pill Access

Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

  • Email

Wednesday, Oct 4 2017

Full Issue

Bill Banning 20-Week Abortions Sails Through House, But Faces Likely Demise In Senate

With overwhelming Democratic opposition in the upper chamber, it would be nearly impossible for the legislation to get the 60 votes. In other news: in many parts of the country abortion clinics are few and far between; Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are both suing over restrictions on abortion pills; a ruling will allow Planned Parenthood to seek more abortion licenses in Missouri; and more.

Most late-term abortions would be outlawed under legislation Republicans pushed through the House on Tuesday, a major priority of the GOP and conservative groups that won't reach an eager President Donald Trump because it faces certain Senate defeat. The House approved the measure by a near party-line 237-189 vote. Though the bill's fate is sealed, the push for abortion restrictions remains a touchstone issue for most Republicans, even as the party splinters between traditionalist conservatives and anti-establishment voters looking to roil Washington. (10/3)

The bill, known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, is not expected to emerge from the Senate, where most Democrats and a handful of moderate Republicans can block its consideration. But antiabortion activists are calling President Trump鈥檚 endorsement of the bill a significant advance for their movement. The White House said in a statement released Monday that the administration 鈥渟trongly supports鈥 the legislation 鈥渁nd applauds the House of Representatives for continuing its efforts to secure critical pro-life protections.鈥 (DeBonis and Johnson, 10/3)

The co-chairs of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), along with Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), said in a statement the ban 鈥渆ndangers women, interferes with their private health care decisions, and marginalizes sexual assault victims while also being blatantly unconstitutional.鈥 Ninety-nine percent of abortions already take place before 21 weeks, according to Planned Parenthood. (Facher, 10/3)

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), would make it a crime to perform or attempt an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with the possibility of a fine, up to five years in prison or both. (Hellmann, 10/3)

There's a clinic that's right in Kelsey's town of Sioux Falls, S.D., that performs abortions, but she still drove hours away to get one. Back in 2015, she was going through a difficult time 鈥 recently laid off, had to move suddenly, helping a close family member through some personal struggles 鈥 when she found out she was also pregnant. (McCammon, 10/3)

Planned Parenthood asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to prevent Arkansas from enforcing restrictions on how the abortion pill is administered while the organization asks the nation's highest court to review a ruling in favor of the new limits. Planned Parenthood Great Plains asked the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to not allow its ruling in favor of the restrictions to take effect yet. (10/3)

The American Civil Liberties Union sued Tuesday in a challenge to federal restrictions that limit many women's access to the so-called abortion pill. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Hawaii, targets long-standing restrictions imposed by the Food and Drug Administration that say the pill, marketed in the U.S. as Mifeprex, can be dispensed only in clinics, hospitals and doctors' offices. The lawsuit contends the drug 鈥 used for abortions up to 10 weeks of pregnancy 鈥 should be made available by prescription in pharmacies across the U.S. (10/3)

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), challenging federal restrictions they argue "significantly" limit access to abortion pills.聽Currently,聽a prescription for the abortion pill Mifeprex cannot be filled at a retail pharmacy. (Hellmann, 10/3)

A federal appeals court ruling has opened the door for Planned Parenthood to pursue abortion licenses in more areas of Missouri. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday lifted a temporary stay that had allowed the state to continue enforcing certain abortion requirements while appealing a lower court's ruling that the requirements infringed on women's abortion rights. The appeals court didn't explain its decision. (10/3)

The same day a federal appeals court overruled itself and voted to block two Missouri abortion restrictions, the state advised Missouri abortion providers that they will have to abide by a new restriction. A memo dated Oct. 2 from the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) says the agency will file emergency rules on Oct. 24 establishing standards for 鈥渃omplication plans鈥 for medication-induced abortions. (Margolies, 10/3)

Representative Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, a strong and frequent critic of abortion, asked a woman with whom he was having an affair to undergo an abortion, according to a report published on Tuesday by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mr. Murphy, 65, who is married with an adult daughter, confirmed last month that he 鈥渂ecame involved in an affair with a personal friend,鈥 according to a statement previously provided to The Post-Gazette. (Stevens, 10/3)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
Newsletter icon

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Stay informed by signing up for the Morning Briefing and other emails:

Recent Morning Briefings

  • Today, August 4
  • Monday, August 3
  • Friday, July 31
  • Thursday, July 30
  • Wednesday, July 29
  • Tuesday, July 28
More Morning Briefings
RSS Feeds
  • Podcasts
  • Special Reports
  • Morning Briefing
  • 吃瓜不打烊
  • Republish Our Content
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

  • RSS

Sign up for emails

Join our email list for regular updates based on your personal preferences.

Sign up
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy

漏 2026 KFF