Health Care — Dems press for contraception vote

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View Online Health Care Health Care The Big Story  House Democrats work to force a vote on contraception Democrats in the lower chamber on Tuesday announced a plan to try to force a vote on legislation to protect access to contraception.   © AP Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) unveiled a discharge petition on the Right to Contraception Act, a day ahead of a Senate vote on companion legislation and three weeks before the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision that ended the constitutional right to an abortion.    The Senate vote is unlikely to garner the 60 votes needed to pass. Republicans blocked the same legislation last year, arguing it was written to protect abortion drugs rather than contraceptives.    It's all part of an election year push to focus on reproductive rights and get Republicans on the record opposing those efforts.    "The Right to Contraception Act is common sense, and it ensures that women have safe access and affordable contraceptive care. This should be the decision for any reasonable Republicans. But they are being held hostage by the most extreme members of their caucus," Clark said at a press conference Tuesday. "And it's the American people who will pay the price."    A discharge petition requires 218 members to support it in order to force bills to be taken up. That would mean several Republicans would have to break with their party and back Democrats. Even if it falls short, Democrats will likely hammer Republicans who refuse to sign on.   When House Democrats passed a version of the same bill in 2022 when they had the majority, 195 House Republicans voted against it.    Polling consistently shows there is broad bipartisan support for birth control. According to the annual Gallup values and beliefs poll released last year, 88 percent of Americans said birth control was morally acceptable.    More recently, a February Impact Research poll commissioned by Americans for Contraception found contraception mobilizes voters who are currently less enthusiastic about the election, including young Hispanic and female voters and Black voters.  Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: New federal guidelines recommend common antibiotic for STI treatment New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the first time outline which at-risk groups health providers should recommend use a common antibiotic to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).  The recommendations come amid increasing rates of bacterial STIs that threaten the health of millions of Americans. In the past decade, reported STIs have increased …  Full Story Rand Paul says Fauci threw his longtime advisor 'to the wolves' Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) argued Tuesday that Dr. Anthony Fauci threw David Morens, his longtime advisor, "to the wolves" during his first congressional hearing since retiring. Fauci joined the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Monday where he faced multiple questions about Morens, a former senior advisor at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Congressional …  Full Story By 2050, 61 percent of Americans will have some kind of cardiovascular disease: Report More than 6 in 10 Americans will have a cardiovascular disease by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association (AHA). The report, published Tuesday in the journal Circulation, found that cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, "will affect more than 184 million adults by 2050," or about 61 percent of Americans. It estimates the prevalence of coronary disease among U.S. adults will increase from …  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read: Federal judge blocks some rules on abortion pills in North Carolina RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge has permanently blocked some efforts in North Carolina to restrict how abortion pills can be dispensed, saying they are unlawfully in conflict with the authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But she allowed other state laws to remain in effect, granting only a partial victory to a doctor … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: California becomes latest state to try capping health care spending (California Healthline)  Marylanders may see health insurance rate hike on state marketplace (WYPR)  Pa. health insurance company has laid off more than 300 people since March (PennLive.com)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: Cancer patients often do better with less intensive treatment, research shows (NBC News)  Weight-loss drugs are forcing changes to grocery store offerings (Axios)  Why the Supreme Court's abortion pill ruling might not end legal fight (The Washington Post)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: GOP senators warn judge against sentencing Trump to prison Senate Republicans are warning New York Judge Juan Merchan not to sentence former President Trump to prison or house arrest or take any other action … Read more 5 takeaways from Fauci's heated House hearing During his first congressional hearing in nearly two years, former chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci picked up where he left off: trading … Read more   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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