President George W. Bush started PEPFAR in Africa in 2003. The program retains bipartisan support. But anti-abortion groups and some House Republicans, including Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, are pushing to attach abortion-related limits on U.S. health support overseas to the reauthorizing legislation. They are also seeking yearly votes on PEPFAR’s continuance. Read more at … Read more
Former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) are boasting their support for national abortion bans as fellow GOP presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spars with anti-abortion activists. Read more at The Hill
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Monday that he supported a blockade by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) on hundreds of military promotions, asserting that the Pentagon was “violating the law” with its abortion travel policy. Read more at Politico
The House’s right flank is loading up once-anodyne appropriations bills with riders focused on the culture war and fabricated controversies. Read more at Talking Points Memo
A Republican-backed spending bill threatens to end national access to mail-order abortion pills and cut billions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) that provides low-income families with food benefits. Read more at The Guardian
At issue is the Defense Department’s policy that reimburses troops who travel to seek abortions. Tuberville says he won’t allow the promotions — normally a pro forma affair — to go through easily unless the Pentagon rescinds the policy, followed by a vote to codify the policy into law. Democrats and the administration say that’s … Read more
The court ruled unanimously Thursday that Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) was using “misleading” and “incorrect” arguments to justify delaying his approval of the cost estimates ballot measure that would allow residents to vote on whether to legalize abortion, a crucial step in the certification process. Read more at The Hill
‘They gave a poor answer’: GOP senators slam Pentagon briefing on abortion policy Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Republicans were unmoved in their opposition to the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy on Wednesday, despite a renewed push from Democrats and the administration. Read more at Politico DeSantis backs Tuberville on military holds, denounces Pentagon abortion policy … Read more
The House just passed a defense bill with controversial abortion, LGBTQ measures. It doesn’t stand a chance in the Senate. The typically bipartisan bill dissolved into a nearly GOP-only measure Thursday as ugly fights over abortion, transgender medical care and diversity programs that have shown up in other bills in the House took center stage. … Read more
A year after the Supreme Court ended the federal constitutional right to abortion, individual states continue to grapple with ways to restrict abortion access, do away with it altogether — or in some cases, enshrine its protection in their own state constitutions. Read more at Vox
