First Edition: September 25, 2015
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Clinton Seeks To Build On Health Law, But Does She Have The Rx For Rising Health Costs?
While the Republicans running for president are united in their desire to repeal the federal health law, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton is fashioning her own health care agenda to tackle out-of-pocket costs – but industry experts question whether her proposals would solve the problem. In addition to defending the Affordable Care Act, Clinton released two separate proposals this week. One would seek to protect people with insurance from having to pay thousands of dollars in addition to their premiums for prescription drugs; the other would set overall limits on out-of-pocket health spending for those with insurance. (Rovner, 9/25)
Kaiser Health News:
D.C. Women To Get Access To Full Year’s Worth Of Contraceptives
Under a new law, District of Columbia women will be able to scratch one item off their list of things to worry about: running out of birth control pills. Under the law, which passed its congressional review period this month, women will be able to get a year’s supply of pills at once. Prescriptions for birth control pills typically have to be renewed every 30 or 90 days, potentially resulting in women missing scheduled pills. The yearlong provision will begin in 2017. (Andrews, 9/25)
Los Angeles Times:
Senate Fails To Advance Bill That Would Cut Planned Parenthood Funding
With a federal shutdown days away, Senate Republicans tried -- and failed -- on Thursday to advance legislation that would eliminate money for Planned Parenthood but keep government offices and services open. Democrats blocked the bill with a filibuster, refusing to cut funds for the large family planning organization after secretly recorded videos disclosed officials discussing the practice of providing fetal tissue from abortions for research. The debate has become a national conversation on abortion. (Mascaro, 9/24)
USA Today:
Democrats Block Planned Parenthood Defunding; McConnell Offers 'Clean Bill'
Senate Democrats blocked a bill Thursday to keep the government funded through Dec. 11 because of a Republican provision to strip Planned Parenthood of federal money for a year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., moved immediately after the vote to try to avert an Oct. 1 government shutdown by filing a new bill that funds federal agencies but does not include the divisive Planned Parenthood provision. A vote on that bill could come as early as Monday. (Kelly, 9/24)
The Associated Press:
McConnell Moves Ahead With Bipartisan Stopgap Spending Bill
In the House, GOP leaders called a meeting of their fractious rank and file for Friday morning to discuss whether to accept the Senate’s move or reject it at the risk that continuing the fight over Planned Parenthood would lead to a government shutdown. The White House signaled President Barack Obama would sign the measure, called a continuing resolution, into law — if the House steps aside from the fight tea party Republicans want over “defunding” Planned Parenthood. (Taylor, 9/24)
Politico:
Boehner Plots Shutdown Move As Critics Weigh Options
House Republican leaders will move next week to approve a "clean" government spending bill — and avert a shutdown — but only after they hold a vote on a measure to bar federal funding for Planned Parenthood, according to multiple sources familiar with the GOP's plan. The move, which comes as conservatives are weighing whether to try to remove John Boehner as House speaker, was discussed at a closed GOP leadership meeting Thursday. It involves a legislative tactic called an "enrollment correction," which essentially changes the text of a bill that has passed the House and the Senate. But it would ultimately be a meaningless exercise: The Senate would reject the measure, and President Barack Obama has said he will veto any spending bill that tries to defund Planned Parenthood. (Sherman, Palmer and Bresnahan, 9/24)
The Washington Post's Wonkblog:
Defunding Planned Parenthood Would Actually Increase Government Spending
Days before lawmakers must pass new legislation to fund the government, Republicans are vowing to reject any proposal that includes public money for Planned Parenthood. The move could trigger not only a shutdown, but if it succeeds, more bills for taxpayers. (Pacquette, 9/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Federal Judge Declines To Block Steris From Acquiring Synergy Health
A federal judge on Thursday handed a rare court loss to U.S. antitrust enforcers, declining to block Steris Corp., a U.S. infection-prevention company, from acquiring U.K.-based Synergy Health PLC. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland rejected a request by the Federal Trade Commission to issue a preliminary injunction halting the merger, saying the FTC hadn’t met its burden of showing the deal was likely to damp competition in the U.S. (Kendall, 9/24)
NPR:
FDA Advisers Call For More Safety Data On Sterilization Device
The Food and Drug Administration should gather more information to try to get a better sense of the safety of the Essure sterilization device, a panel of experts assembled by the agency recommended Thursday. (Stein, 9/24)
The Washington Post:
Novartis CEO Talks About Drug Costs, Paying Doctors And ‘Doing The Right Thing’
As stories of jacked-up drug costs make news, and discussions of health-care reform pepper the campaign trail, Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez sat down with The Washington Post to talk about how he views his responsibility as leader of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. (Cunningham, 9/24)
NPR:
Carly Fiorina Doubles Down On Opposition To Abortion In South Carolina
Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina campaigned at a Christian pregnancy care center in South Carolina Thursday. Opposition to abortion has become a prominent message in her campaign recently. (McCammon, 9/24)
NPR:
California Counties Add Health Care For Immigrant Adults
A California county voted Tuesday to restore primary health care services to undocumented adults living in the county. Contra Costa County, east of San Francisco, joins 46 other California counties that have agreed to provide non-emergency care to immigrants who entered the country illegally. (Romero, 9/24)
The New York Times:
Alabama Vote Is Rare Win In The South For The U.A.W.
The 2-to-1 margin of victory at the small factory, which makes seats for trucks, represents an unusual win in the uphill battle to organize autoworkers in the South. But it was unclear whether the vote signaled a broader breakthrough for labor and the U.A.W. in a region that has historically been allergic to most unions. Employees at C.V.G. cited low pay, which tops out at $15.80 an hour, the growing use of temporary workers at even lower wages and rising health insurance costs as reasons they voted to join the union. (Cohen, 9/24)
The Associated Press:
Utah Unveils Tool Showing Impact Of Federal Budget Crisis
Lawwmakers worried about Utah's reliance on U.S. government funds unveiled an online calculator Thursday that shows how the state would be hit by various federal budget disasters like a shutdown. ... The calculator comes with several built-in scenarios that the commission says are "extreme but possible," such as broad federal spending cuts and or deep slashes to Medicaid money. On the website, the public can access a slimmed down version of a more sophisticated tool that legislative budget staff can use. (Price, 9/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Lawmakers Fail To Override Christie Veto
New Jersey Democrats unsuccessfully attempted on Thursday to override Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of a gun-control bill when most GOP supporters of the legislation decided not to buck the presidential candidate. The legislation would have prevented people with a documented history of mental illness from expunging that record to buy a gun. (Haddon, 9/24)