Cases That Could Upend Access to Abortion — Again

Good morning, rulers! Congratulations to everyone who celebrated Yo La Tengo’s album release day. Also: Girl Scout cookie season is here again. If you are not yet connected to the Girl Scout Troop, Consider buying cookies from Troop 6000, consists of girls from New York City’s shelter system. Thanks to her Sophie Gardner for putting together, creating and occasionally writing this newsletter.

One day, a judge will rule that could ban access to abortion pills nationwide. This is the most common method used in the United States. That would dramatically change access to abortion in both the Red and Blue States.

Backstory: in November, Anti-abortion group sues Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration It is the first of two drugs known as abortion drugs to overturn mifepristone’s FDA approval. Abortion drug use has increased during the pandemic, and in 2021, the FDA will allow telemedicine prescribing and mailing of drugs.

Lawsuit: In the lawsuit, lawyers for anti-abortion groups allege that the FDA did not adequately study the effects of the drug, which was approved 20 years ago. If the judge in the case, Judge Matthew Kaxmarkie, decides in favor of the plaintiff, he may block access to mifepristone in states where abortion is legal, or allow doctors to may withdraw the rule allowing the prescription of

POLITICO REPORTERS Alice Miranda Allstein and Adam Canklin reported on the lawsuit this weekI called Allstein to ask about the possible outcomes of this lawsuit and how this ruling could overturn access to abortion in the United States.

This interview has been edited.

Katie Fossett: Some say back and forth for a while Law vs Wade This decision only makes abortion accessible to red states and blue states, and while this decision is important for red states, it doesn’t matter in Democratic-led states where abortion is still legal. Judgments in drug lawsuits appear to be huge, even in states where legislatures have decided they want to keep the proceedings mostly legal.

Alice Miranda Allstein: Oh, absolutely.And I guess I never was [that only red states would be affected by the Roe decision].I was writing before the ruling about how blue states would be affectedThey have been affected by the massive influx of patients from red states seeking abortions, which has led to increased wait times.

Fawcett: And now many abortions are done by medication, right?

Orstein: Yes, the majority. It was a growing trend, but the pandemic has certainly accelerated it. People were reluctant to go to clinics for fear of COVID-19, but around the same time, the government eased restrictions on abortion drugs, allowing them to be prescribed by mail and telemedicine appointments. . face-to-face appointment.

Fawcett: So will the judgment against Pill take effect immediately? Will it be appealed?

Orstein: If the verdict against Pill comes out, the administration will appeal. But, as you know, in the meantime we are waiting for that appeal to be heard.Judge May Issue Temporary Ban [that would stay in place until a higher ruling] It can really cause a lot of confusion.

Fawcett: In your talk you mentioned that HHS Director Xavier Becerra said he expected the judge to rule in favor of the FDA. Are we more concerned?

Orstein: The Kacsmaryk Judge is a great example of what is called ‘judge shopping’. You may be wondering: Why is there a lawsuit in a random court in Amarillo, Texas challenging the FDA’s decades-old approval of these pills? Many anti-abortion advocacy groups deliberately bring cases to judges that they believe will resonate more with them. The judge worked for an advocacy group appointed by President Donald Trump to launch its own anti-abortion lawsuit. And these anti-abortion opponents thought he was likely to rule in their favour, and for that reason specifically planned to take the case before him.

And what we explored in this article is how the Biden administration publicly says they are confident they will win this case. And if there is anything they can do, they are definitely looking for something.

Fawcett: Is this lawsuit part of a trend?

Orstein: A lot of attention has been focused on abortion drugs, especially from the other side of abortion. Not only is it the most common method of abortion in the United States, it is very difficult to ban or police. Dangerous states have been very successful in forcing clinics to close or shut down, but when people receive their pills in the mail to private homes, take them to private property, and terminate their pregnancies that way. is much more difficult to track. upon. This is one of many attempts they put forward to stop it. Also, it may be a point to increase the cooling effect. It’s very difficult to ban abortion pills without opening everyone’s emails.But if you want to develop human resources got scared Using pills increases this.

“​​The Rise of Klobuchar: Paving the Way for Minnesota Democratic LeadershipPOLITICO by Burgess Everett: “Amy Klobuchar ironically debuted as a member of the ‘Big 4’ of Senate Democratic leaders.

“Oh, to the mic for the first time” minnesotan he said After Chuck Schumer introduced her to the Capitol press last month as a newcomer to the party’s Senate leadership for the first time in six years.

“After a quiet but steady rise since stopping the search of the White House to endorse President Joe Biden nearly three years ago, Klobuchar now chairs the Senate Rules Committee and the Democratic Operations Committee. At 62, she can continue to test just how much her inner influence can grow in the Democratic caucuses.”

“Diane Feinstein’s very awkward, very uncomfortable exit from the political stage”, by David Siders of POLITICO.

“Federal Judge Says Constitutional Right to Abortion May Still Exist Despite Dobbs’ ClaimsBy Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein of POLITICO: “A federal judge in Washington, D.C., suggested Monday that there may be a constitutional right to abortion built into the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, overturning last year’s decision. Law vs Wade.

“In a pending criminal case against several anti-abortion activists, U.S. District Judge Colleen Collier-Cottery said the Supreme Court’s ruling: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization simply concluded that while the 14th Amendment did not include the right to abortion, it did not go so far as to definitively exclude other aspects of the Constitution that might apply. “

“Florida Athletic Association no longer asks high school students about their menstrual cycle,By Anna Wilder of POLITICO.

Click here for details.

“‘No Standards’: Study Finds AI Algorithms Objectify Women’s Bodiesby Gianluca Mauro and Hilke Schermann Guardian: “Images posted on social media are analyzed by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to determine what to amplify and what to suppress. It may be biased, censoring and suppressing the reach of countless photos featuring women’s bodies.”

“Female doctors face burnout crisis amid lack of support from staffby Corinne Post of Forbes.

“Holy Land’s first female pastor is ordainedBy Yolande Knell of the BBC: “In many parts of Christendom, women church leaders are no longer uncommon. I never saw it done.

“On Sunday, Palestinian Sari Azar from Jerusalem became the first female pastor at an event at the Lutheran Church in the heart of the Old City, which was attended by hundreds of international supporters.”

“These black women are changing the weather on television, a field long dominated by white men,by Amdarat Ajasa washington post.

Click here for details.

Anne Feldman He is currently a Senior Advisor to HHS. She was previously Deputy Director of Communications for Senator Maggie Hassan (DN.H.). … Macarena Martinez Joins the office of Senator Ted Cruz (Republic of Texas) as a Texas Communications Advisor. Until recently, she was the Texas communications director for the RNC and an alum for her Trump campaign. …

Lisa Vedernikova Khanna Currently Chief of Staff, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Instacart. Most recently he was Director of Strategic Planning for the DNC, the NYT and he is an HFA graduate. (h/t playbook)