Health Care — Graham introduces federal abortion ban
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The Emmy’s were last night, and Sheryl Lee Ralph decided to bless us with both her amazing singing voice as well as an inspiring acceptance speech.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced legislation for a federal abortion ban on Tuesday, apparently without input from some fellow GOP lawmakers.
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Graham proposes federal 15-week abortion ban bill
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban abortions nationally after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The bill comes three months after the Supreme Court overturnedRoe v. Wade and theconstitutional right to an abortion and marks the most serious effort by Republicans in Congress to pass a nationwide abortion restriction.
“I think we should have a law at the federal level that would say after 15 weeks, no abortion on demand except in cases of rape, incest and save the life of a mother. And that should be where America’s at,” Graham said during a press conference.
Balancing act: Abortion politics are a balancing act for Republicans right now. The proposal comes just two months before the midterm elections.
Republicans in battleground states are trying to navigate a growing voter backlash to the Supreme Court decision while also appealing to the party’s base that’s pushing for immediate action on imposing total abortion bans.
“We’re trying to take a position we think will rally the country to be more sympathetic to an unborn child,” Graham said.
No prospects — yet: The legislation has no chance of getting a vote while Democrats are in control of the Senate.
Even if Republicans take control, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he doesn’t intend to eliminate the filibuster to pass a national abortion ban, meaning the legislation would need 60 votes.
“If we take the House and Senate, I can assure you we’ll have a vote. If the Democrats are in charge, I don’t know if we’ll ever vote.”
McConnell throws shade on proposed abortion ban
The timing on Graham’s proposal didn’t thrill his fellow Republicans, especially Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
McConnell made clear Republicans did not want to debate it, and that abortion is best left to states.
McConnell also said Graham’s proposal is the South Carolina senator’s own initiative and not something being pushed at the leadership level.
“With regard to his bill, you’ll have to ask him about it. In terms of scheduling, I think most of the members of my conference prefer that this be dealt with at the state level,” he told reporters.
Graham admitted that he did not consult with McConnell before making his push for a 15-week abortion ban. He said he introduced the legislation
with the support of several prominent anti-abortion rights groups such as
the National Right to Life Committee, March for Life and Susan B. Anthony
Pro-Life America.McConnell said it’s up to the Republican candidates in various Senate battleground races to explain how they view the hot-button issue.
Two sitting Republican senators have expressed support for codifying abortion protections into law- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), who is up for re-election, and Sen. Susan Collins (Maine.).
Collins was a sponsor of bipartisan legislation that essentially codified Roe v. Wade into law. But Democrats ultimately voted on a more sweeping bill, as it was clear neither would clear a GOP filibuster.
NEWSOM LAUNCHES ABORTION ACCESS WEBSITE
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) launched a new website on Tuesday with information about abortion access and reproductive health in the state, hours after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) unveiled new legislation for a 15-week national abortion ban.
“Make no mistake–Lindsey Graham’s new national ban on abortion is about controlling women,” Newsom said in a tweet. “That’s their agenda. CA’s fighting back.”
The website aims to act as a resource for women “no matter where they live,” providing information about traveling to California to obtain an abortion in addition to information on “how, where and when” to access abortion in the state, Newsom said.
Newsom also noted that the site does not track personal information, which some are concerned may be used to identify those who seek or provide abortions.
First US monkeypox death confirmed in California
The first U.S. death this year due to a monkeypox infection has been confirmed in California in an individual who health authorities say was “severely immunocompromised.”
The Los Angeles Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday that a Los Angeles County resident died due to a monkeypox infection. The infected individual had been hospitalized.
“Public Health sends heartfelt condolences and wishes of healing to the family and friends mourning the loss of their loved one,” the city health department stated. “The resident was severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized.”
No further information on the individual such as age, gender or ethnicity was shared by the department, which cited a need to protect “confidentiality and privacy.”
Possibly more: This is the first death confirmed to be caused by monkeypox. A Texas man, who was also described as being severely immunocompromised, died last month after being diagnosed with monkeypox, though the role that the infection played in his death is still being investigated.
Monkeypox infections are rarely fatal, with most cases resolving within two to four weeks. According to the World Health Organization, the disease has a fatality rate of around 3 to 6 percent. However, immunocompromised individuals are more likely to experience severe illness when infected, as is the case in many viral infections such as COVID-19.
PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF COVID RISK AT LOW POINT: SURVEY
Americans’ concern about COVID-19 is at a low point as many move on from the pandemic even with the virus continuing to circulate, a new survey finds.
The latest Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index released Tuesday found that views about mask wearing and concern about community spread of the virus have both dipped.
The percentage of respondents who said they sometimes or always wear a mask when outside the home has dropped to 37 percent, down from 71 percent last September and 89 percent in September 2020.
Just under half of Americans, or 46 percent, report they “have returned to their pre-COVID lives” — up from 18 percent in January — while 65 percent believe there is little or no risk in doing so.
At the same time, nearly a third of Americans reported feeling that “most people around me have moved on from the pandemic, but I haven’t.”
“The latest results find a country that has largely — though not completely — moved on from the pandemic,” the report states.
WHAT WE’RE READING
‘The switch’ was supposed to be a major step toward eradicating polio. Now it’s a quandary (Stat)
Monkeypox outbreak slowing in the US, but health leaders say critical challenges remain (CNN)
As demand for the monkeypox vaccine stalls, outreach goes hyperlocal (Politico)
STATE BY STATE
NYC moves on from covid as new round of omicron shots roll out (Bloomberg)
Florida fines Orlando abortion clinic $193,000 (ClickOrlando.com)
As state institutions close, families of longtime residents face agonizing choices (Kaiser Health News)
THE HILL OP-EDS
In the wealthiest country in the world, no one should be hungry
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow.
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