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Family Research Council responds to Senate's approval of Mikulski amendment

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins responded today to the U.S. Senate's approval of an amendment authored by U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to authorize the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to include abortion as "preventive care" in their guidelines.

4 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 4, 2009

Today's headlines focus on the Senate's first health bill votes and the behind-the-scenes negotiations regarding the public option.

4 Dec 2009

Reproductive Health Matters' November issue focuses on criminalisation

Elsevier announced today the publication of the November issue of Reproductive Health Matters. Articles in the issue look at criminalisation in relation to a range of global issues: rape and sexual violence; female genital mutilation; selling and buying sex; provision and use of modern contraception and induced abortion; homosexuality, and HIV transmission.

4 Dec 2009

More investment in family planning and pregnancy-related care will reduce maternal and newborn deaths

Maternal deaths in developing countries could be slashed by 70% and newborn deaths cut nearly in half if the world doubled investment in family planning and pregnancy-related care, shows a new report by the Guttmacher Institute and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Currently, more than half a million maternal deaths and 3.5 million newborn deaths, many of them easily preventable, occur each year in developing countries.

4 Dec 2009

Senate votes to reject Medicare cuts; Reid discusses next anticipated amendments

The Associated Press reported: "Senators voted 58-42 to reject an amendment by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona that would have stripped more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts from the health care bill. The measure would have sent the bill back to the Senate Finance Committee for a redo" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/3).

4 Dec 2009

Senators prepare to debate abortion treatment in Senate bill

The Associated Press: "Senators debating health care legislation are headed for a clash over abortion, the issue that threatened to derail the bill in the House. Anticipating the showdown, hundreds of abortion rights supporters gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday to call on senators to keep new abortion restrictions out of the health care bill.

3 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 3, 2009

Today's headlines indicate that Senate leaders may have broken their stalemate regarding the pending, Democratic-backed health reform legislation -- clearing the way today for votes on amendments.

3 Dec 2009

Bishop-endorsed healthcare system can undermine medical treatments and preventative measures

If the Catholic bishops have their way, many medical treatments and preventative measures we take for granted may be under threat. The pressure that the US bishops have brought to bear on the debate over healthcare reform has been widely reported.

3 Dec 2009

Senators consider women's insurance amendment, Medicare funding issues, with votes likely today

The New York Times: "In a day of desultory debate on sweeping health care legislation, senators appealed to two potent political constituencies ... with Democrats seeking additional medical benefits for women and Republicans vowing to preserve and protect Medicare for older Americans. The Democrats' first amendment, offered by Senator Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland, would require insurers to cover more screenings and preventive care for women, with no co-payments."

2 Dec 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

Once upon a time, grass-roots women challenged the establishment by figuratively burning their bras. Now, in some masochistic perversion of feminism, they are raising their voices to yell, "Squeeze our breasts!" (Barbara Ehrenreich, 12/2).

2 Dec 2009

To influence Senate health debate, lobbyists' public voices getting louder

As the Senate commences its health care debate, lobbyists are lining up, Roll Call reports. Tactics include television ads, memos, factsheets, abortion-rights activists' "DC Lobby Day," and signs in Washington's subway stations.

1 Dec 2009

Abortion-rights group gear up for Senate debate

Abortion-rights groups are holding a lobby day on Wednesday to fight language in the House healthcare bill that would impose greater restrictions on access to the controversial procedure. The amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), adopted before House passage on Nov. 21, would prohibit women who receive government subsidies for healthcare from purchasing insurance that covers abortions, and it would prohibit coverage of the procedure in government-run health plans.

1 Dec 2009

Senate health reform players prepare policy positions

With debate scheduled to begin as early as Monday, senators are preparing their arguments for or against health care reform, Bloomberg reports. "All 58 Senate Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them backed [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid's bid to start debate this week.

1 Dec 2009

Senate Democrats face rocky road on the way to the health reform finish line

"The 60 votes aren't there any more," The Associated Press reports: "With the Senate set to begin debate Monday on health care overhaul, the all-hands-on-deck Democratic coalition that allowed the bill to advance is fracturing already. Yet majority Democrats will need 60 votes again to finish."

30 Nov 2009

Details of the policies inside the Senate's health overhaul bill

Hot-button provisions in the Senate health Bill, such as the public option, cost controls and subsidies to expand coverage continue to get a lot of attention, while some interesting details have gone with little notice.

30 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 30, 2009

In today's headlines, much attention is focused on the Senate as that chamber begins what is expected to be a stormy health overhaul debate.

30 Nov 2009

Public option expected to dominate Senate debate on health reform this week

The Associated Press: "... the all-hands-on-deck Democratic coalition that allowed the bill to advance is fracturing already. ... Some Democratic senators say they'll jump ship from the bill without tighter restrictions on abortion coverage. Others say they'll go unless a government plan to compete with private insurance companies gets tossed overboard.

29 Nov 2009