How Once ‘Pro-Choice’ Trump Has Given Anti-Abortion Movement Most Optimism In A Decade
President Donald Trump will on Friday address the March for Life activists, in a sign of how much he's moved on the issue. Before running for office, Trump once described himself as pro-choice, and often seems uncomfortable discussing the issue. Yet in his first year Trump secured major victories for the movement, including the latest in which his administration created a religious freedom division at the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Associated Press:
Trump Steps To Forefront Of Anti-Abortion Movement
He once called himself “pro-choice.” But a year into his presidency, Donald Trump is stepping to the forefront of his administration’s efforts to roll back abortion rights. And though his record is mixed and a midterm election looms, abortion opponents say they have not felt so optimistic in at least a decade. “I don’t think anybody thinks that the White House is a perfectly regimented and orderly family ... but that doesn’t change their commitment to the issue,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, which is expanding its door-knocking operation across states with Senate incumbents who have voted for abortion rights. (Kellman, 1/19)
The Associated Press:
For Rival Camps In Abortion Debate, A Weekend To Mobilize
Activists on both sides of the abortion debate will be rallying and marching over the next few days in their annual show of force, while looking ahead to the coming year with a mix of combativeness and trepidation. The events kick off Friday with the March for Life in Washington, the biggest yearly event for opponents of abortion. Organizers say Donald Trump will become the first sitting president to address the gathering, speaking live from the White House Rose Garden. (1/18)
Modern Healthcare:
New HHS Religious Freedom Office Will Address Provider Concerns
The HHS on Thursday announced the creation of a religious freedom division within its Office of Civil Rights. This new unit will be tasked with asserting religious privilege for providers whose beliefs conflict with care such as abortions or consulting on sex-reassignment surgery. The effort was met with concerns by some providers and praise by others. Planned Parenthood called it "the latest example of this administration's efforts to block women, transgender people, and other marginalized communities from accessing health care," Dana Singiser, vice president of public policy and government relations said in a statement. (Dickson, 1/18)
In other national health care news —
Modern Healthcare:
Health System-Led Drug Company Unlikely To Make A Dent In Drug Prices, Shortages
As four not-for-profit health systems unveiled plans to create their own generic drug company Thursday, experts say they'll face an uphill battle to make a significant dent in one of the fastest-growing industry expenses and persistent problems: rising drug prices and drug shortages. Intermountain Healthcare, Ascension, SSM Health and Trinity Health are working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to pool their capital and 450 total hospitals to fight back against drug companies that unexpectedly hike the prices of decades-old off-patent generic drugs with minimal competition. They also look to create a more reliable supply of generic drugs like saline and sodium bicarbonate that are vulnerable to shortages. (Kacik, 1/18)
Politico:
Trump Again Targets Drug Policy Office, Proposing 95 Percent Budget Cut
President Donald Trump is planning to slash the budget of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, in what marks his administration’s second attempt to gut the top office responsible for coordinating the federal response to the opioid crisis. The plan would shift the office’s two main grant programs, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas grant and the Drug Free Communities Act, to the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, respectively, multiple sources in the administration and others working with the government on the opioid crisis told POLITICO. (Karlin-Smith and Ehley, 1/18)
The Associated Press:
Governors Ask Trump, Congress To Do More On Opioid Crisis
Less than three months after President Donald Trump declared the U.S. opioid crisis a public health emergency, the nation's governors are calling on his administration and Congress to provide more money and coordination for the fight against the drugs, which are killing more than 90 Americans a day. The list of more than two dozen recommendations made Thursday by the National Governors Association is the first coordinated, bipartisan response from the nation's governors since Trump's October declaration. (1/18)
Stat:
Key House Republican Seeks Changes In Right-To-Try Legislation
A key House Republican wants to make changes to a Senate-passed measure that aims to expand patient access to experimental treatments, a move that will slow the measure’s path to passage. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden of Oregon told STAT Thursday that the Senate-passed “right-to-try” bill, from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), would have to be changed before he would bring it up in his panel. (Mershon, 1/19)
The New York Times:
The U.S. Fertility Rate Is Down, Yet More Women Are Mothers
A baby bust. The fertility rate at a record low. Millennials deciding not to have children. There has been a lot of worry about the state of American fertility. Yet today, 86 percent of women ages 40 to 44 — near the end of their reproductive years — are mothers, up from 80 percent in 2006, reversing decades of declines, according to a new analysis of census data by Pew Research Center on Thursday. (Miller, 1/18)