Major sticking points keep on being as Household and Senate reconcile protection paying bills

Mike Brest

July 28, 01:16 PM July 28, 01:16 PM

The Senate handed the National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday night with wide bipartisan assistance because, as opposed to their Residence counterparts, they largely avoided partisan subject areas.

Eighty-six senators voted in favor of the once-a-year protection policy bill that authorizes $886 billion in paying on countrywide protection, which was President Joe Biden's requested sum, while only 11 voted versus it. Comparatively, the House's NDAA was a practically social gathering-line vote.

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With both chambers passing their edition of the must-move invoice, negotiators from each chamber will operate collectively to merge them into just one, which will ultimately head to the president's desk. But, those people associated will have to figure out a way ahead on two important culture war issues that had been provided in the House's model but not the Senate's: abortion obtain and transgender health care.

The House's edition incorporated an modification that finished the Pentagon's existing abortion plan — which is to reimburse service users or their dependents the travel costs incurred if they have to travel out-of-condition for health-related companies these kinds of as abortions, but also fertility treatment options. DOD executed the plan in light of the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the subsequent restrictive regulations that conservative states put in put following the ruling.

A further modification the lower chamber's invoice involved would stop the department or Tricare, the military’s health care plan, from furnishing gender-relevant surgeries and hormone treatment plans for transgender company users.

Republicans have prolonged hammered the department's abortion and transgender procedures, and the amendments pushed all but four Home Democrats to vote towards the NDAA a couple of months back.

“What’s going on in the Senate is a stark contrast to the partisan race to the bottom we saw in the Residence, where Home Republicans are pushing partisan legislation that has zero prospect of passing,” reported Senate The vast majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY), forward of the Senate vote.

Before this month, Countrywide Protection Council coordinator John Kirby claimed it is really "really tricky to see" Biden signing a invoice that has this kind of rollbacks.

"It is really extremely tricky to see the President supporting legislation that would make it harder for Americans to provide in uniform and to not be in a position to do so with dignity, would not be in a position to do so with the right care that they need to have equally professional medical and psychological treatment," he spelled out. "It truly is really difficult to see that the President would at any time, at any time sign legislation that would put our troops at increased danger or put our readiness at hazard."

The NDAA has been passed every single 12 months for more than 60 many years.

Even though the president usually symptoms the protection authorization monthly bill into legislation in December, the abortion difficulty will probably come to a head a lot quicker for a different reason.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has held up navy nominations for about 6 months thanks to this coverage, which he argues is overreach from the department. Tuberville's keep has blocked more than 300 nominations, while Pentagon officials have mentioned that variety could exceed 650 if his maintain extends by means of the remainder of the calendar calendar year.

The Maritime Corps is currently led by acting Commandant Gen. Eric Smith mainly because he was not confirmed into the placement prior to his predecessor was term-restricted out of the place. The heads of the Army and Navy are set to leave in the coming weeks, when the head of the Air Power will be assuming the role of Chairman of the Joint Employees, building a different opening in his wake.

Tuberville's maintain could power the Military, Navy, Air Drive, and Joint Team to have performing leaders if Biden's nominees really don't get verified, in addition to the Marine Corps that now is running that way.

The Alabama senator can't totally reduce the Senate from passing nominations. But his hold, which helps prevent the Senate from passing them in batches as is normally done, makes it a significantly extra time-consuming approach. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the chairman of the Senate Armed Companies Committee, claimed previously this month it would get approximately 84 times to vote by just about every advertising if they did completely that for 8 several hours each and every day.

DeFlorida Blueprint: DeSantis challenges medical establishment in shaping GOP health policy

Breccan F. Thies

May 09, 07:00 AM May 09, 07:24 AM

DeFlorida Blueprint is a five-part series examining the legislative and policy record of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). As the Florida legislature wraps up its 2023 session, DeSantis is widely expected to declare he is running for the Republican presidential nomination, putting him on a collision course with former President Donald Trump. The first part of this series examined his record on education. The second part, below, will look at DeSantis's healthcare policy.

In his four years in office, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has set a new conservative playbook for healthcare, from his defiant response to the coronavirus pandemic to his care network to combat opioid addiction.

Beyond the headlines of his war on woke, DeSantis has racked up a policy record that will serve as the foundation for his national political ambitions and expected 2024 White House bid.

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“DeSantis is leading the way in showing Republicans how to advance conservative policy goals and protect Americans from bad private actors across the issue spectrum but especially as it pertains to healthcare policy," American Principles Project President Terry Schilling told the Washington Examiner. "The status quo Republican policy of neutrality has always been a failure against Democrats' aggressive social agenda — they build institutions and change society with their policies and legal changes, and Republicans never even remove or reverse the Democrats' changes."

Coronavirus

On healthcare, DeSantis is probably most lauded by conservatives for his response to the coronavirus pandemic, wherein he sharply criticized mask and vaccination mandates, lockdowns, and school closures that were being pursued in states across the country.

The governor became an early critic of former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, saying last year that "someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac."

In a veiled jab at former President Donald Trump last month, DeSantis criticized "leaders" who "subcontract out their leadership to health bureaucrats like Dr. Fauci."

DeSantis was later than most governors in imposing lockdowns on April 1, 2020, and started loosening restrictions after only 28 days. By Sept. 25, 2020, he lifted the sanctions, declaring in his executive order that Florida had "suffered economic harm."

Paragon Health Institute President Brian Blase told the Washington Examiner, "DeSantis's policies to target protective measures for the most vulnerable, avoid mandates, and keep schools and businesses open led Florida to have one of the best overall COVID responses in the country."

The "biomedical security state"

In January 2023, DeSantis launched the "Prescribe Freedom" initiative, which passed the Florida legislature, aimed at permanently ending mask and vaccine requirements and allowing "protecting medical freedom of speech" of physicians.

The bill allows doctors to "disagree with the preferred narrative of the medical community."

“As a health sciences researcher and physician, I have personally witnessed accomplished scientists receive threats due to their unorthodox positions,” Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said in support of the bill. “However, many of these positions have proven to be correct, as we’ve all seen over the past few years."

Dating to the very beginning of the virus, there was an "attempt to suppress real scientific debate and discussion," Robert Moffit, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Center for Health and Welfare Policy, told the Washington Examiner.

"Science requires open debate and open discussion. You can't have anything less than that," he continued. "If you establish a party line, you're shutting down scientific inquiry," and that "exercise of raw political power ... undermines public safety."

Not all physicians agree with the move and believe DeSantis's national presence and potential run for president will "bring more prominence to this ideology," according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health associate professor Dr. Rupali Limaye.

"This idea of — we are going to reject, essentially, anything that is science-based because that’s part of our identity," Limaye continued. "The government can’t tell us what’s true, what’s not true. We make our own decisions. We make our own truth."

Public Health Integrity Committee

DeSantis is pushing back even further on the coronavirus response, starting the Public Health Integrity Committee, overseen by Ladapo, to assess federal public health recommendations to decide whether Florida will follow them.

The move comes with the state filing a petition for a grand jury to "investigate crimes and wrongdoing committed against Floridians related to the COVID-19 vaccine," as well as an inquiry into "sudden deaths of individuals that received the COVID-19 vaccine."

Treatment for gender dysphoria in children

Under DeSantis, Florida has taken on the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, which push the "gender-affirming care" model of responding to children presenting with gender dysphoria.

In 2022, Ladapo issued guidance stating social transitions — like allowing children to use different names, pronouns, and restrooms — and genital mutilation surgeries "should not be a treatment option for children."

The guidance also says children should not be prescribed drugs such as puberty blockers and hormone therapies.

Citing several studies, including medical determinations from Sweden, France, Finland, and the United Kingdom, the guidance says, "Encouraging mastectomy, ovariectomy, uterine extirpation, penile disablement, tracheal shave, the prescription of hormones which are out of line with the genetic make-up of the child, or puberty blockers, are all clinical practices which run an unacceptably high risk of doing harm."

Florida's legislature recently passed several bills related to the treatment of gender dysphoric children, which DeSantis is expected to sign.

One bill bans the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and surgeries on children, allowing courts to remove children from homes that allow such treatment. Doctors who provide treatment will also have their medical licenses suspended and can be subjected to felony charges.

Another bill bans the required use of "preferred pronouns" or alternate names for children in schools, as well as banning the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation until the ninth grade.

Similarly, a bill requires gender-exclusive restrooms and that students must use restrooms that align with their sex.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, chairman of the medical advocacy group Do No Harm, told the Washington Examiner that Ladapo's guidance "is a well-thought-out and evidence-based approach to this difficult and controversial critical topic."

Abortion and child care

Like many other Republican-led states, Florida restricted abortion after the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Currently, Florida bans abortion at 15 weeks gestation, but in April, DeSantis signed a heartbeat bill that would ban the procedure at around six weeks. That bill is waiting for a state Supreme Court decision to take effect.

Florida has also prioritized things like child care, foster care, and maternal health to make it easier for women to bring their babies to term.

According to the Florida Health Department, the Sunshine State has invested over $308 million in maternal and child care over the past four years, telling the Washington Examiner the state is on track to meet its 2030 benchmark of lowering infant mortality to five deaths per 1,000 live births. Other achievements include 94% of babies receiving all immunizations by 24 months.

DeSantis's "Framework for Freedom" budget includes a permanent sales tax exemption for baby and toddler necessities, $96 million in foster care and child care, and $143 million in aid to pregnant and postpartum women.

Addiction and opioids

To combat opioid addiction and overdose, as well as enhance recovery efforts, Florida launched the Coordinated Opioid Recovery network, a partnership of addiction care centers and infrastructure in 12 Florida counties.

The initiative aims to stop the "revolving door of addiction and overdose" by bolstering recovery from emergency response to rehabilitation.

After responding to an overdose, the system would bypass other hospitals and send patients to a specialty center "similar to a trauma center" and pursue treatment through recovery.

The program focuses on treating other medical and mental health problems alongside addiction, as well as involving social services for job training, housing, and food assistance.

According to the Department of Health, since its August 2022 launch, the program has provided 100,000 services to patients, transported 5,000 overdoses to specialized care, stabilized 2,000 overdoses, and placed 98% of opioid use patients on medicated assisted treatment.

"We are giving Floridians the tools they need to break the substance abuse cycle," DeSantis said. "Substance abuse can affect any family at any time, so from education to law enforcement to treatment, we are going to make sure that Floridians can take advantage of this new addiction recovery model."

Prescription drug prices

DeSantis has made several moves to reduce prescription drug prices and regulate the pharmaceutical industry.

Last week, DeSantis signed a bill to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, the organizations that acquire medications from drug companies and distribute them to pharmacies.

The measure requires more transparency from PBMs, which bill authors say have been "allowed to operate virtually unchecked," and increases consumers' pharmacy choices. It also requires pharmaceutical companies to disclose when drug prices increase and why that is the case.

In 2020, Florida became the first state to submit a proposal to the Department of Health and Human Services to begin importing prescription drugs from Canada.

The program would allow Florida to import drugs from Canada, which are less beholden to market changes because the Canadian government controls pricing.

HHS stopped the implementation of the program, citing quality and safety standards of foreign countries. Pharmaceutical companies in the United States have successfully lobbied against foreign importation of drugs.

"They have unlawfully withheld and unreasonably delayed this program, and we think this violates federal law," DeSantis said when filing a lawsuit against HHS.

Medicaid

Florida is one of 10 states that has not adopted a Medicaid expansion through the Affordable Care Act that would have increased eligibility for people earning up to 138% of the poverty line.

As a member of Congress, DeSantis voted for one of the more extensive options to repeal the Affordable Care Act, initially voting against a softer undoing.

The pandemic saw Florida's Medicaid recipients increase from 3.8 million in March 2020 to 5.5 million. Because the "continuous coverage" benefit expired March 31, 2023, Florida is determining whether recipients still qualify — a process that can take a year.

DeSantis has pursued several changes to Medicaid, such as an expansion of the program's postpartum eligibility from 60 days to 1 year post-delivery to reduce maternal mortality rates.

The Agency for Health Care Administration also issued a rule prohibiting Medicaid reimbursements to providers for puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and transgender surgical procedures.

“There is a lot of great work being done to advance public health in Florida," Ladapo told the Washington Examiner. "Our accomplishments demonstrate the dedicated and tireless efforts of the Florida Department of Health’s staff and partners throughout the state.”

Tech groups weigh in against Texas bill that would limit abortion pill information

Christopher Hutton

May 03, 03:30 AM May 03, 03:30 AM

The restriction of information on abortion is a threat to the health of pregnant women under legislation before the Texas government, a group of technology and free speech advocacy groups argued.

A coalition of advocacy groups wrote a letter to the chairs of the Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday requesting that the leadership oppose House Bill 2690, legislation restricting the sale of select abortion pills in Texas. The bill also includes a clause limiting information about the pills, including removing webpages that might offer information about the drugs or how to get them. The authors of the letter include the left-leaning tech group Chamber of Progress, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and PEN America.

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"As drafted, these prohibitions may lead to services censoring direct messages between patients and caregivers on obtaining safe care," they argue in the letter, according to a copy provided exclusively to the Washington Examiner. "It may also force services to block or censor telemedicine counseling services in which medical professionals advise pregnant people on a variety of reproductive health services, including but not limited to legal abortions."

They also argue that not providing sufficient information would "pose harm to all women, especially communities of color and low-income women." They note that "online searches for information about abortion are most common in states with the strictest abortion laws" and claim misinformation could force women to receive dangerous treatments if medical content on the subject is limited.

They said access to medication-based abortion is still protected federally and that women still are allowed to drive across borders to get treatments.

Texas has implemented multiple restrictions on abortion in recent years. Five women sued the state in early March, alleging that the state's laws prevented them from getting abortions despite the life-threatening circumstances they were experiencing.

A federal judge in Texas moved to block the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, a product that is explicitly banned by H.B. 2690. The White House said it intends to fight the ruling in court, while House Democrats have submitted legislation to ensure the pills remain on the market.

DeSantis returns to Capitol Hill amid brewing 2024 troubles with Trump

Mabinty Quarshie

April 18, 02:09 PM April 18, 02:09 PM

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is attending a "meet-and-greet policy discussion" at the Heritage Foundation on Tuesday evening as tensions between DeSantis and former President Donald Trump continue to rise.

The event, hosted by the nonprofit group And to the Republic, will feature expected guest appearances from Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Chip Roy (R-TX) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).

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But also hovering over DeSantis's visit to Washington, D.C., are the escalating attacks between the Trump camp and DeSantis's allies.

In recent days and weeks, super PACs affiliated with both men have launched attack ads against each other despite DeSantis not being a declared 2024 presidential candidate.

MAGA Inc., a Trump-backed PAC, released a 30-second ad last week mocking DeSantis for allegedly eating chocolate pudding with his fingers. The pudding allegations were reported by the Daily Beast last month. MAGA Inc. also purchased a $3 million ad buy highlighting DeSantis's votes to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Not to be outdone, Never Back Down, a pro-DeSantis PAC, came to the governor's rescue. The group released an ad on Friday, the same day Trump spoke to the National Rifle Association, attacking the former president's Second Amendment credentials. The group also released an ad on Sunday attacking Trump for lying about DeSantis's record on Social Security.

Even more worryingly for DeSantis, Florida Republicans are defecting and endorsing Trump. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) announced his support for Trump on Monday. Steube joined other Sunshine State Republicans, such as Reps. Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, and Cory Mills, in backing Trump over DeSantis. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) have also endorsed Trump in recent days. (DeSantis said he will make a decision on a 2024 run after Florida's legislative session wraps up in May.)

GOP strategist Ford O'Connell said the Florida lawmakers' defection to Trump is a blow to the governor. "Losing those endorsements is not helpful because they are respected members of the Florida delegation," O'Connell told the Washington Examiner. "But again, it is recoverable, and times can change."

In most polls, DeSantis is the only Republican polling close to Trump, who is still in command of the GOP base. However, a Public Opinion Strategies poll obtained by McClatchy showed DeSantis narrowly beating President Joe Biden in Arizona and Pennsylvania, two important battleground states. DeSantis leads Biden 45% to 42% in Pennsylvania. He also leads Biden in Arizona 48% to 42%.

Meanwhile, Biden leads Trump in Pennsylvania, 46% to 42%. In Arizona, Biden beats Trump 45% to 44%.

Yet Trump is still king in the GOP, and his recent legal woes have bolstered his status with Republican voters. Trump was arrested and arraigned in a Manhattan court earlier this month stemming from a 2016 hush money payment scheme.

"Not only does he have the mantle, but he's also setting the sort of control for the conversation," O'Connell said. "He has all the momentum. It's very, very hard to take the mantle back from Donald Trump because he's sucking all the oxygen out of the Republican primary room."

DeSantis has made stoking the culture wars a critical part of his persona.

The governor passed a six-week abortion ban in Florida last week but has been reluctant to champion his legislative achievement in public. Similarly, Trump has been reluctant to champion the overturning of Roe v. Wade, even though he was responsible for nominating the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn the landmark ruling last year. Trump has not publicly commented on DeSantis's abortion ruling.

A feud with Disney also led to some Republicans criticizing DeSantis. This week, DeSantis championed legislation that would revoke an agreement Disney made with the former Reedy Creek Improvement District Board of Supervisors to bypass Florida's control over the Walt Disney World Resort. The corporation and DeSantis have feuded since last year, when Disney criticized the Parental Rights in Education Act.

"Why do you want to punish a place that creates enormous tax revenue for your state? Enormous tourism for your state? And you want to punish them because they've disagreed with you?" former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) said during an event with Semafor on Tuesday.

Christie, a possible 2024 candidate, also said he didn't think DeSantis was a "conservative" based on his actions toward Disney.

Likewise, GOP strategist Frank Luntz criticized DeSantis's feud with Disney.

"I don't know why Gov. DeSantis has decided to make Disney an enemy," Luntz said during C-SPAN's Washington Journal show on Tuesday. "He's trying to use Disney to elevate himself. He's got a brilliant record. Florida's economy is strong. Crime is down. Quality of life is up. It's a success story. So why are you demonizing a company?"

O'Connell, however, said the Disney flap can only help DeSantis.

"Here's why it helps him with the Republican base: because Disney is the symbol of corporate activism," O'Connell said. "And Republicans do not like corporate activism because they want to go back to the old Michael Jordan 'Republicans buy tennis shoes, too.'"

DeSantis will need to define his media narrative before Trump brandishes him. Events such as the meet-and-greet at the Heritage Foundation can help bolster DeSantis ahead of an expected 2024 run.

"I think that this is a case of DeSantis introducing himself to Heritage ... [and] the broader Heritage committee," O'Connell said. "But it's also an attempt to generate support and lay out his vision."

Heritage Action argues better messaging can make anti-abortion cause popular

Brady Knox

April 16, 06:00 AM April 16, 06:00 AM

Imbued with enthusiasm over Florida's recent 6-week abortion ban, Heritage Action argues the anti-abortion cause can be made popular on a national level, with proper messaging.

As activists for abortion bans score victories in some deep red states, the wins are offset by equal pushes for increased abortion access in blue states such as Colorado. Additionally, the anti-abortion movement was handed several defeats in prominent elections, including a resounding defeat in Wisconsin. However, Heritage Action Executive Director Jessica Anderson is confident that legislation restricting abortion could one day succeed in blue states, with proper messaging and funding.

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"Well, it's a little bit of everything," Anderson said, when asked by the Washington Examiner what she believed the key ingredient was to tip the scales in abortion opponents' favor.

"You have to have candidates that are willing to talk about the urgent need to protect life," she said. "In a post-Dobbs era, that's calling on state lawmakers to do their part, it's calling on members of Congress to consider their part. And so I think when you can confidently talk about it and not listen to the Left, then the GOP wins because they are talking about the issue directly, and then there's spending hard campaign dollars that should flow from that. ... But what should start at the beginning is the principle which is that conservatives are supportive of protecting life and that should come out loud and clear."

Following electoral defeats in states such as Wisconsin, largely believed to be over issues such as abortion, some prominent conservative pundits argued that a tactical retreat from abortion was necessary, seeing it as an election loser.

"The demand for anti-abortion legislation just cost Republicans another crucial race," author and pundit Ann Coulter tweeted, following the election loss in Wisconsin. "Pro-lifers: WE WON. Abortion is not a 'constitutional right' anymore! Please stop pushing strict limits on abortion, or there will be no Republicans left."

Anderson disagrees with the sentiment, viewing opposition to abortion as non-negotiable. In her view, opposition to abortion is integral to being conservative.

She believes the worst thing Republicans could do is avoid the conversation entirely, allowing the abortion debate to be dominated by those advocating increased abortion access. She cited the 2022 midterm elections as an example, when liberals outspent conservatives by a factor of 45 on abortion messaging. And aside from increased funding, conservatives need to be more sympathetic in their messaging.

"Protecting life is integral to ... conservative principles, and anywhere in the country that we can keep our eye on the ball, which is to save babies and protect them both; the mother that is going through, maybe it is an unplanned pregnancy, and maybe she needs wraparound support from her community, from her church, from her family," Anderson said. "I mean, those are the types of things that should be talked about. And the truth is, when we run away from the issues that are already being talked about at kitchen tables, you know, all across the country, it just lets the left dominate the conversation. So leaving that discussion would be a mistake.

She pointed to other recent elections in states where abortion took center stage, yet resulted in a Democratic defeat, including Beto O'Rourke in Texas, Stacey Abrams in Georgia, and Tim Ryan in Ohio.

One of the most important aspects of abortion messaging for conservatives, aside from stressing the presence of exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother in abortion bans, as is the case with the Florida bill, is spreading information about the infrastructure for distressed mothers, Anderson said.

"There's an awesome network that exists across the country through pregnancy resource centers that provide that sort of wraparound care that's needed," she said. "For moms that might be facing ... an unplanned pregnancy. It helps them financially, it helps them get a job, it helps them reconcile with their partner if that's what's needed. Or if they don't want to keep the baby, and adoption is a better solution for that mother, for that family, then they provide pathways to adoption. I would look there first. And I think the pregnancy resource center network across the country is so robust, I mean, I don't even think the general public even realizes that there's PRCs, multiple PRCs, in every state and access like that to real wonderful life-changing care. It changes lives. I mean, I know it firsthand from what I've seen."

Anderson praised Florida's recent "heartbeat" bill, saying it should be the standard for abortion legislation going forward, saying that basing life on the detection of a heartbeat is "very natural."

"If Carson, who's sitting right here next to me, were to fall on the floor, the first thing I would do is check to see if she had a heartbeat," she said. "It's a very natural thing, to trace life to a heartbeat, and there should not be any ignorance of that and whether it's unborn ... or out of the birth canal."

Republican state Sen. Erin Grall, the sponsor of Florida's SB 300, described the bill as a compromise. The bill tightens the window for allowing an abortion to one of the smallest in the country. The exceptions, including allowing abortion in the case of rape or incest, are popular with most voters, including a majority of those who oppose abortion.

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The bill drew condemnation from the White House, which blasted it as "extreme and dangerous."

"The ban flies in the face of fundamental freedoms and is out of step with the views of the vast majority of the people of Florida and of all the United States," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Sununu makes rare admission of pro-choice stance while ripping abortion pill chaos

Emily Jacobs

April 15, 10:19 PM April 15, 10:29 PM

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu acknowledged his pro-choice position over the weekend while reiterating his concern that "hardline" stances from fellow Republicans will hurt the party's ability to reach new voters.

Sununu, a Republican, made the comments Saturday while discussing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, facing protests while visiting New Hampshire Friday night after signing a six week abortion ban into law. The New Hampshire governor said he believed that some of his GOP colleagues taking extreme positions, and at times implementing them, was harming the party's electorally.

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"My issue is I think it's a terrible message for for the Republican primary, I really do, I think it hurts us in the general election," Sununu said. "I think there are much more pressing issues, if you will, that are facing Americans like inflation, like fiscal responsibility, like border security. All of these are really the issues that have to be answered, that have to be provided solutions to."

The governor said the electorate was on his side on this issue. He argued that Republicans who pushed federal abortion bans ahead of the 2022 midterm elections alienated disaffected Democrats and independents who may have otherwise considered voting for GOP candidates.

The governor was referencing Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) proposing a national 15-week abortion ban just before last November. He called proposing such restrictions ahead of an election, "the dumbest thing you could possibly do."

Many political observers and pollsters have argued that the Supreme Court's overturn of Roe v. Wade last year was one of two primary causes for Republican's lackluster midterm showing. Former President Donald Trump's oft controversial primary picks failing to gain traction in the general election was also blamed for the party's much-anticipated red wave turning out to be a ripple.

The Wisconsin state Supreme Court race earlier this month, where the winning liberal candidate centered her candidacy on abortion access, furthered those concerns.

A U.S. District Court judge out of Texas ruled last week that the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, one part of a two-drug regimen to induce an abortion, should be suspended. The ruling was at odds with a similar one out of Washington state. By Friday, the Supreme Court stepped in with a stay on order, setting the stage for a high court ruling on the matter.

Asked if he thought a Supreme Court ruling to uphold the mifepristone ban would hurt the GOP further with independent voters, Sununu answered affirmatively.

"Yes, yeah absolutely. Look, [mifepristone has] been around for 20 years. The issue isn't so much about whether it gets banned or not. I mean, I'm pro-choice, I think it should be legal, that's fine. But it's all about these massive changes in precedent, right?" he said. "Roe v. Wade, whether you agreed with or not, there was a 50 year precedent there. There's a 20 year precedent with [mifepristone]. So now to the American public it looks like Republicans are coming in and trying to massively change and blow up the system."

Sununu said that while abortion was not "a non-issue," he believed some Republicans taking severe positions on the matter was turning away independents and "the younger generation of Republicans" which he said the party needs "to stop being so disenfranchised" so they "come back on the team."

"I just think the messaging as a whole is not where it needs to be," he continued, noting that "it'll be interesting to see" how 2024 Republican presidential candidates navigate the issue. "Ether way, I don't think it's anything that helps us in the long term. I just want to win in '24."

Biden tested by abortion pill access fight with uncertain GOP

Naomi Lim

April 13, 07:30 AM April 13, 07:30 AM

President Joe Biden is under pressure to secure access to an abortion pill that is part of a two-drug regimen relied on by more than half the women nationwide terminating pregnancies every year.

But while the White House remains mum on its contingency plan should it exhaust its legal options, Biden and Democrats are raising the ante on the political fight before next year's elections.

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Hours after a federal judge in Texas suspended the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, Biden warned "virtually no prescription" will "be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks" if his decision is allowed to stand.

"The lawsuit, and this ruling, is another unprecedented step in taking away basic freedoms from women and putting their health at risk," Biden said in a statement. "It is the next big step toward the national ban on abortion that Republican elected officials have vowed to make law in America."

Biden, who has advocated Congress to codify Roe v. Wade, then underscored his opposition to U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's decision before boarding Air Force One for his trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland.

“My thoughts are it’s completely out of bounds what the judge did,” Biden told reporters this week at Joint Base Andrews.

But similarly to how Biden and Democrats appear uncertain about how to respond to Kacsmaryk's highly anticipated decision, as they did after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, Republicans also differ on how to proceed following their underperformance in last November's midterm cycle due, in part, to Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Conservatives additionally lost control of Wisconsin's Supreme Court last week after Justice-elect Janet Claire Protasiewicz defeated Daniel Kelly by more than 10 percentage points following a campaign that focused on abortion.

One Republican strategist emphasized Democrats' "extreme and unpopular positions," including encouraging people to "ignore" judicial decisions with which they disagree.

"However, Republican candidates in difficult races must remain conscious that blanket abortion bans are no longer a 50/50 issue in polling, and they must express a brand of compassionate conservatism that doesn't alienate voters in the middle," the operative said.

Republican pollster Whit Ayers advised GOP lawmakers and candidates to avoid "the extremes" concerning abortion, contending "the vast majority" of the public believes abortion should be permitted in "some circumstances" but not others. He asserted that not acknowledging that is to be "in denial."

"More than half of Americans know someone who has had an abortion or has had one themselves," he said. "So when you use very harsh language, calling people who have abortions 'murderers,' you're talking about people known to half of America, and that is politically toxic."

When asked whether abortion will motivate people to vote next November, Ayers replied he is "convinced" that "our grandchildren" will still be arguing about the topic because it is an emotional subject and there is no one answer that will satisfy everybody.

"The best we can do is try to reach some sort of consensus around an alternative position," he added.

As long as the debate is about abortion limits and not its legality, anti-abortion Republicans can "hold their own," according to Claremont McKenna College politics professor John Pitney.

"But after Dobbs, people worry that Republicans will go too far," he said. "Republican lawmakers need to be cautious in what they propose and how they talk about the issue. Unfortunately for them, the most extreme voices will get the most attention."

But for Heritage Action Executive Director Jessica Anderson, Republican lawmakers and candidates should point out Democratic "extremism," such as "abortion on demand" to "the final moment before birth" and "not providing lifesaving care" after a botched procedure.

"In situations where you had Republican candidates that were much more clear about supporting life and having reasonable exceptions, which is where the majority of Americans are, by the way — poll after poll shows that — then you saw electoral success," Anderson said. "It's really where you had Republicans that just refused to talk about the issue, they didn't engage, or they weren't clear and they were wishy-washy, that they lost — or they couldn't make a compelling argument to show the extremism [of Democrats]."

"The question now becomes 'Well, what's next?'" she went on. "Does this go to the Supreme Court and then become another iterative of this fight over how to protect life? Does the Biden administration weigh in a different route other than the FDA through an executive order?"

Another Republican strategist agreed the GOP should "be on offense" related to abortion.

"Be clear in your position, then call out the Left for being out of step with the American people," the operative said.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has repeated the White House is trying to avoid getting "ahead of the courts" amid Kacsmaryk's decision to issue a nationwide injunction despite mifepristone being available for the last two decades after what has been described as a quick approval process, the Justice Department's application for a stay and appeal, as well as a separate federal judge ruling that prevents the FDA from pulling mifepristone from the market.

"We are ready to prevail in the courts," Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One en route to the United Kingdom and Ireland. "There's a process that we're going through that we're going to make sure that we win this, we win this on behalf of women across the country."

A day earlier, Jean-Pierre deflected questions about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who last weekend put forward that Kacsmaryk's decision be ignored. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) amplified Ocasio-Cortez's position, telling CNN this week, "This thing should just be thrown out, quite frankly.”

"Look, we are going to always follow the law. Always," Jean-Pierre said. "But doesn't mean that we're not going to fight."

Nebraska GOP split on how much they want to restrict abortion

Eden Villalovas

April 12, 11:44 AM April 12, 11:44 AM

Nebraska lawmakers are set to begin the first-round debate on Wednesday morning for a bill that would ban abortion once a heartbeat is identified in an embryo, typically around six weeks of pregnancy.

In 2010, Nebraska passed the country’s first law banning abortion at 20 weeks, citing the theory that a fetus could possibly feel pain at that point. The state has been a leader in anti-abortion legislation, but Republicans have been divided over the bill up for debate, introducing an amendment that would push the ban to 12 weeks.

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Sen. Merv Riepe challenged the bill introduced by Sen. Joni Albrecht last month, arguing the six-week ban might not give women enough time to know they are pregnant.

“I wanted to have some dialogue,” he said in a committee hearing on March 16.

Riepe reiterated that while he urges a fair conversation, he would not stand in the way if the vote is close. “And I think I’m clearly on the record that I will be … the 33rd vote to move it.”

Albrecht told the Nebraska Examiner that while she would prefer a total ban, she has negotiated on expectations for cases such as rape, incest, and the life or health of the mother.

"It's about elective abortions. We want to stop that from happening — women who it’s inconvenient for them to have it, not wanting to have it," she said. "This is the right thing to do for the people."

Republicans will need the full support of their lawmakers, as it takes 33 votes to resolve a debate and end a filibuster. Republicans have the majority, 32 seats, while Democrats hold 17. Sen. Mike McDonnell is the lone Democrat who has pledged his vote to Albrecht’s bill.

Opponents of the bill have pledged to filibuster, stretching the full eight hours before a vote is held.

“I have nothing, nothing but time, and I am going to use all of it,” Democratic Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said in February.

The bill advancing to the second round relies on whether any lawmakers will shift from their loyalty to the conservative- or left-leaning stance.

"If neither side is perfectly happy, then you may have a sustainable bill," Riepe said. "I just want to put it in front of people because I think that's what democracy is about."

Democratic lawmakers file to challenge Texas abortion pill ruling

Brady Knox

April 11, 11:47 PM April 11, 11:49 PM

Two hundred and forty Democratic and independent members of Congress filed an amicus brief on Tuesday, urging an appeals court to block a Texas judge's ruling that would stop the prescription and distribution of the abortion drug mifepristone.

The group includes 50 senators and 190 House members, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) signed the brief as well.

BIDEN SLAMS TEXAS ABORTION PILL RULING AS 'COMPLETELY OUT OF BOUNDS'

Much of the brief defends mifepristone specifically, but it also focuses on defending abortion in general.

"Amici believe that the district court’s stay of FDA’s September 28, 2000 Approval of mifepristone and other challenged agency actions has no basis in law, threatens the Congressionally mandated drug approval process, and poses a serious health risk to pregnant individuals by making abortion more difficult to access— when access has already been seriously eroded in the aftermath of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization," the filing stated. "Accordingly, Amici respectfully urge this Court to grant emergency relief from the district court’s stay."

The filing stresses its inclusion of transgender people who want an abortion, writing that approximately 22 million women of childbearing age are now without access to abortion, "in addition to other people who may not identify as women but are capable of becoming pregnant and may need an abortion."

The filing spent much of its conclusion stressing that the blocking of the drug threatens to especially harm "Black women — and exacerbate an already grave Black maternal health crisis."

The 65-page brief was filed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday.

House Democrats introduce legislation to nullify Texas abortion pill ruling

Samantha-Jo Roth

April 10, 10:59 AM April 10, 11:00 AM

House Democrats plan to introduce legislation in response to last week’s federal court ruling in Texas on abortion pills, clarifying the Food and Drug Administration can make a final decision when it comes to approving the drugs used in a medical abortion.

A federal judge in Texas issued a ruling Friday, suspending the FDA’s two-decade-old approval of the medical abortion drug mifepristone. U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s decision is set to go into effect Friday, and the Biden administration has already appealed it.

TONY GONZALES WARNS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AGAINST IGNORING ABORTION PILL COURT RULING

Reps. Pat Ryan (D-NY) and Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) plan to introduce a bill that would emphasize the FDA will have the final say when it comes to medication abortion over any state law, according to reporting from Axios.

“The legislation will reaffirm the FDA’s approval authority and protect doctors who use telemedicine to prescribe medication abortion,” Ryan said in a statement.

The legislation would largely be symbolic, as it faces an uphill road in the Republican-controlled House. The FDA approved mifepristone more than 20 years ago, and it is used with another drug, misoprostol, to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks. Over half of U.S. abortions are done medically, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

While congressional Democrats quickly condemned the decision Friday, top Republicans have not commented. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Senate GOP Whip John Thune (R-SD) have remained silent on the ruling.

Trump's biggest loss this week was in Wisconsin, not New York

Christian Datoc

April 06, 05:15 AM April 06, 05:15 AM

Former President Donald Trump was arraigned in New York on Tuesday on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, but the largest blow to his hopes of reclaiming the White House might have occurred nearly 1,000 miles away in Wisconsin, where liberals secured a majority on the state's Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years.

Hours after Trump became the first American president to face felony charges, Judge Janet Protasiewicz claimed victory over former Justice Dan Kelly, a major Trump supporter and one of the Wisconsin Republicans central to the former president's attempts to throw out the results of the 2020 general election.

TRUMP ASSOCIATES CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC INDICTMENT BUMP WILL LAST

Kelly, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by former Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker in 2016 to replace retiring Justice David Prosser, announced in 2019 his intent to run for a full 10-year term but eventually lost in the April 2020 Supreme Court general election. Following that defeat, Kelly joined the Institute for Reforming Government, a conservative nonprofit group, and served as legal counsel to Wisconsin Republicans' efforts to aid Trump in decertifying President Joe Biden's general election victory.

Wisconsin represented one of the seven states where the Trump legal team and allies launched legal efforts to block the certification of Biden's win, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which at the time was controlled by conservatives, eventually voted 4-3 in December of 2020 to deny Trump's challenge. Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn sided with the liberals on the court to cast the deciding vote.

This election, Protasiewicz and Democratic allies spent more than $23 million tying Kelly to Trump's failed attempts to overturn the 2020 results. Democratic officials told the Washington Examiner that it's "critical" for the party to win down-ballot elections "so that ultra-MAGA local politicians can't move to pull a 2020 in 2024."

As of Wednesday morning, Kelly trailed Protasiewicz by 10 points with 95% of all votes counted, and he lashed out at his opponent in a Trumpian concession speech Tuesday night.

"I wish that in a circumstance like this, I would be able to concede to a worthy opponent, but I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede," he said. "This was the most deeply deceitful, dishonorable, despicable campaign that I have ever seen run for the courts."

Still, there is a chance that Protasiewicz could be impeached and removed from the court by the Republican supermajority in the state senate, which was also solidified Tuesday night after former state GOP Rep. Dan Knodl defeated attorney Jodi Habush Sinykin in the special election to fill the 8th District seat.

Knodl previously hinted at plans to bring an impeachment vote to the floor should Protasiewicz best Kelly, but If Protasiewicz is removed from the bench, Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, would then appoint someone to fill the hole.

Though Trumpworld officials have argued that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's "witch hunt" case would help secure him the 2024 Republican nomination, Wisconsin politicos doubted the impact the indictment would have on the Supreme Court election.

"While this [indictment] may get the juice flowing with some of his supporters, some may have a head shake and shoulder shrug," former state GOP leader Brandon Scholz suggested before Tuesday's race was called. "This indictment thing isn’t really tied into this race. It is a Trump issue."

"We’re focused on winning a critical election in four days that will have long-term consequences for millions of Wisconsinites when it comes to issues like reproductive rights and the strength of our democracy," he said in a statement. "We know voters are focused on this race because it’s an opportunity to return fairness and impartiality to the Wisconsin Supreme Court."

Protasiewicz campaign spokesman Sam Roecker also predicted that voters wouldn't "be distracted by what’s happening in New York."

Trump himself criticized Kelly on Wednesday, claiming on his social media site, Truth Social, that the former justice would have won had he sought an endorsement from the former president.

"Daniel Kelly of Wisconsin just lost his Supreme Court Election. He bragged that he won’t seek Trump’s Endorsement, so I didn’t give it—which guaranteed his loss," he wrote. "How foolish is a man that doesn’t seek an Endorsement that would have won him the Election?"

Trump did endorse Kelly during the 2020 Supreme Court election, which saw him falling to Justice Jill Karofsky by more than 10 points.

The turnout from Tuesday's contest also portends a poor showing for Trump in the state should he be the GOP nominee in 2024.

On Tuesday, 1.84 million Wisconsin voters took part in the Supreme Court election, roughly 800,000 fewer participants than the 2022 midterm election but still the highest mark for a Supreme Court election in a nonpresidential election year since 2008. The liberal-leaning Milwaukee and Madison metropolitan areas accounted for 26% of all votes cast Tuesday, up 4 points from the November 2022 midterm elections, which saw Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) hold off progressive challenger Mandela Barnes.

Three Trump associates admitted to the Washington Examiner that Tuesday's results make Trump's path back to the White House more difficult.

"Wisconsin is a critical swing state," one person said. "If the turnout is similar in November 2024, I don't think any Republican could win there."

Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by roughly 20,000 votes after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton failed to hold a single campaign event in the state, but he lost the state in 2020 by a similar margin.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre chalked up Tuesday's results to Wisconsin voters prioritizing reproductive rights, with the court expected to hear an abortion case this spring. The new liberal majority all but guarantees the court will overturn a 19th-century abortion ban that was reinstated following 2022's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling.

"Time and time again, the American people have shown their resolute support for reproductive freedom in our democracy, and last night was no different," Jean-Pierre told reporters at Wednesday's White House briefing. "The message from voters has been clear. Americans want the freedom to make reproductive healthcare decisions without government interference. They have been very clear about that."

"We believe that it is important for Americans to have their freedom, including their right to make a decision, and women to have the right to make a decision on their own on their own healthcare, and so the this is the this is an administration that's going to continue to fight for a fight for those freedoms," she concluded.

Not seeking Trump endorsement doomed Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate, former president says

Barnini Chakraborty

April 05, 06:01 PM April 05, 06:01 PM

Former President Donald Trump slammed defeated Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Daniel Kelly on social media Wednesday, claiming Kelly lost the race because he refused an endorsement.

"Daniel Kelly of Wisconsin just lost his Supreme Court Election," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He bragged that he won’t seek Trump’s Endorsement, so I didn’t give it—which guaranteed his loss. How foolish is a man that doesn’t seek an Endorsement that would have won him the Election?"

ABORTION AND CRIME TOP CONSERVATIVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT NEW WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT JUDGE

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated Kelly, a one-time Trump devotee, in a race that was framed as the most important of the 2023 election cycle.

Political analysts blamed the loss on Kelly's view on abortion — he secured endorsements from the top three anti-abortion organizations in the state while Protasiewicz promised to protect women's rights — but Trump had a very different theory where he played the starring role.

Kelly told NBC News ahead of Tuesday's race that he wasn't looking for an endorsement from Trump and shied away from saying whether he would accept one if offered.

"We're not looking for one," he said. "I'm not really looking for endorsements from political actors."

He added that if Trump did give him the nod, he would "have to take a look at it and see what message that would be sending." Kelly did not speculate on whether a Trump endorsement would hurt him.

The former president was in New York City this week, where he was arraigned on charges stemming from hush money payments to women during his 2016 campaign. He is also under investigation in Georgia and Washington.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Senators question Tuberville's drastic step to protest Pentagon abortion policy

Samantha-Jo Roth

March 28, 12:28 PM March 28, 12:28 PM

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) continues to block about 160 promotions of military commanders assigned to NATO, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East in protest of a Pentagon policy directive that gives service members more access to abortion.

“I hate to have to do this. It’s unfortunate. But we make the laws over here. The DoD doesn’t. This is not about abortion. It’s about taxpayer-funded abortions,” Tuberville told PunchBowl News. “If this was about a list of personnel, people actually doing the fighting, this might be different. … If this had to do with winning a war, obviously I wouldn’t be doing this.”

TUBERVILLE FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH THREAT TO BLOCK PENTAGON APPOINTMENTS FOLLOWING ABORTION ACCESS PUSH

Last month, Tuberville began blocking all civilian, flag, and general officer nominations as well as high-level promotions within the Pentagon. So far, he has bottlenecked over 150 Pentagon nominations in his protest and has shown no signs of backing down. Military promotions typically move forward easily through the Senate Armed Services Committee. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns that many of the military promotions are for key roles where there are active conflicts.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sounded off for the first time on Monday, accusing Tuberville of damaging national security.

“The senator from Alabama’s hold of hundreds of routine military promotions is reckless, it damages the readiness of our military, and puts American security in jeopardy,” Schumer said. “If every single one of us objected to the promotion of military personnel whenever we feel passionately or strongly about an issue, our military would simply grind to a halt.”

Many Republicans agree with Tuberville’s stance but don’t support the method in which he’s using military promotions as leverage.

“There are a lot of military positions that need to be filled,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We’re working with leadership and Sen. Tuberville to see what can be resolved.”

KBJ writes solo dissent in Supreme Court abortion ruling

Cami Mondeaux

March 21, 08:52 AM March 21, 08:52 AM

The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a ruling from a lower court allowing a state clerk to be sued for telling a pregnant teenager she must notify her parents before seeking to obtain an abortion without their consent.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed in 2018 after a Missouri teenager accused state clerk Michelle Chapman of violating her rights when the 17-year-old sought an abortion without her parents’ knowledge. The Supreme Court voted to return the case to the lower courts to have it dismissed in a remedy known as the Munsingwear vacatur.

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Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson penned a solo dissent in the case, arguing the Munsingwear maneuver was misinterpreted in the case and has “drifted away from the doctrine’s foundational moorings.”

“In my view, it is crucial that we hold the line and limit the availability of Munsingwear vacatur to truly exceptional cases,” she wrote in her dissent.

The decision comes after the teenager, only referred to as Jane Doe, sought to obtain an abortion without parental consent but was told by Chapman she would not be able to. Under Missouri law, teenagers must obtain parental consent before receiving an abortion. However, minors can bypass that rule by requesting a court hearing.

When Doe went to court to seek a judicial bypass, Chapman told her she would need to notify her parents of the hearing before it could take place. Doe then opted to forgo the hearing and traveled to Illinois to receive the abortion instead.

The teenager sued Chapman for allegedly violating her constitutional rights. The lower courts ruled that Chapman could not be granted quasi-judicial immunity, which typically grants court workers qualified immunity when they violate a constitutional limit. The lawsuit was later thrown out after both parties agreed to dismiss the charges.

Chapman sought to appeal the lawsuit last year, arguing it was no longer relevant because of the Supreme Court’s ruling last year to overturn Roe v. Wade, which paved the way for Missouri to implement a new law criminalizing abortion in all cases except for in cases when the mother’s life is in danger. Because of the changing precedent, Chapman argued she had unfairly been denied qualified immunity and that a judicial bypass would not be required even if Roe was upheld.

The state clerk requested the Supreme Court to consider the case last year, arguing the lawsuit should be handed back down to the lower courts due to the changing precedent.

However, Doe’s attorneys argued the lawsuit should be written off as moot because both the teenager and Chapman agreed to dismiss the case — meaning it no longer matters whether Chapman is considered immune.

Jackson agreed with that sentiment, arguing that because Chapman and Doe had already agreed to dismiss the lawsuit before Roe was overturned, it should not be considered unfair that Chapman had lost her right to appeal the case.

Walgreens says it does not plan to sell abortion pills in some states its legal

Abigail Adcox

March 03, 10:19 AM March 03, 10:19 AM

Walgreens announced it does not plan to dispense a major abortion medication in some states where the pills remain legal amid a shifting landscape after a number of state officials threatened legal action.

The company said that it does not plan to seek certification from the Food and Drug Administration to dispense mifepristone, the first of two abortion-inducing drugs used to terminate a pregnancy through 10 weeks, by mail or at their brick-and-mortar locations in several states where abortions and the abortion medication remain legal, including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana.

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Walgreens told Politico that it has since responded to all state officials that had sent the company letters. Over 20 Republican attorneys general had called on the company not to proceed with dispensing the abortion medication.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach had told the pharmaceutical chain not to seek providing the abortion medication in the state, claiming he would seek legal action against the company. Kobach said late last month that he had received confirmation from Walgreens that they would not be dispensing the abortion medication in Kansas.

“This is a significant victory for the pro-life cause and for women’s health,” Kobach said in a statement. “The dispensing of these pills without a supervising physician present would expose women to complications and potentially to coercion as well. I’m grateful Walgreens has responded quickly and reasonably and intends to fully comply with the law.”

In response to the decision not to sell the abortion medication in states where it is legal, a number of people have taken to Twitter to call for boycotting the company.

"American women will let [Walgreens] know exactly how we feel about their cowardice in the face of right wing threats. #BoycottWalgreens," one person tweeted.

A spokesperson for Walgreens had said the company was aware it would not be able to dispense abortion medication at all locations due to certain state laws surrounding the drug.

"We are not dispensing Mifepristone at this time. We intend to become a certified pharmacy under the program, however, we fully understand that we may not be able to dispense Mifepristone in all locations if we are certified under the program," the spokesperson said.

The FDA announced earlier this year that retail pharmacies could become certified to offer abortion medication to patients who have received a prescription from a qualified health provider. Previously, abortion medication had to be prescribed and dispensed by clinics, medical offices, hospitals, or under the supervision of a certified health provider.

CVS has also said it intends to go through the certification process to offer the abortion medication, though it has not clarified in which states it plans to sell the medication.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Walgreens for comment.

Arizona's 15-week abortion law goes into effect

Jack Birle

December 30, 07:52 PM December 30, 07:52 PM

Arizona's 15-week abortion law has gone into effect after an appeals court in Tucson ruled the law can go forward.

The court's ruling found that the 15-week abortion ban was lawful and that it overruled a near-total ban from when Arizona was a U.S. territory.

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"Under this construction, our contemporary statutes permit physicians to perform elective abortions up to fifteen weeks but only in conformity with a host of exacting regulations. Our original law continues to outlaw abortions under all circumstances not permitted by that subsequent legislation. This construction results in a coherent and easily applied statutory scheme. It is the only construction that comports with the legislature’s direction that each of the statutes regulating abortion continue to have force and effect," Judge Garye Vasquez said in the decision.

The law, which bans abortions after 15 weeks except when the mother's life is in danger, was passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey (R) in March. Three months later, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in the decision for Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, paving the way for states to restrict abortion procedures.

Arizona Attorney General-elect Kris Mayes (D) campaigned on a vow not to prosecute abortion providers despite what state laws may dictate.