The Quickie: Did You Hear? House Majority Pushed Through a Bill Attacking Abortion Rights for Veterans and Their Families — We've Had It Up to Here

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: House majority advances bill attacking abortion rights for veterans, a PP Votes spotlight, and a state fights round up.

DID YOU HEAR? HOUSE MAJORITY PUSHED THROUGH A BILL ATTACKING ABORTION RIGHTS FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES — WE’VE HAD IT UP TO ⬆️ HERE ⬆️: Last week, the House majority passed a Veterans Affairs (VA) funding bill that once again attacks abortion access. One particularly harmful provision would overturn a Biden Administration rule that allows the VA to offer abortion care in cases of rape or incest or when the life or health of the pregnant person is in danger. The bill would also add a harmful new ban on coverage of abortion care through the VA and attack access to gender-affirming care for veterans and their families.

This isn’t the first time the House majority has sought to deny the basic health care rights of those who serve our country. Last year, they also voted to restrict access to abortion and gender-affirming care for veterans, and we’re likely to see more of these poison pill provisions in the run-up to the government funding deadline in the fall. 

Read more here. 

TIM SHEEHY PROVES HE’S A THREAT TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM IN FIRST MONTANA SENATE DEBATE: In the first Montana U.S. Senate debate, challenger Tim Sheehy proved he does not represent Montanans’ values and is a threat to reproductive freedom. 

“Tim Sheehy is already showing Montanans who he is, spouting lies about essential reproductive health care,” said Quinn Leighton, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Votes in Montana. “Unlike Tim Sheehy, Tester knows that the majority of Montanans support keeping politicians out of our reproductive health decisions — and he’ll keep it that way if re-elected. Montanans cannot afford to elect Tim Sheehy, who will take any opportunity to meddle in our ability to make decisions that are best for ourselves and our families.”

In stark contrast, Sen. Jon Tester showed Montanans he is a champion for reproductive freedom, saying, “The bottom line — this is not a decision that should be made by politicians or bureaucrats or judges – this is a decision that should be made by a woman and her family, in consultation with her minister and her doctor.” 

Read Planned Parenthood Votes’ full statement here. 

STATE FIGHTS ROUND UP: Reproductive rights allies continue to fight against North Carolina’s abortion restrictions in the courts. 

• North Carolina: On Wednesday, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina held a summary judgment hearing in Planned Parenthood South Atlantic’s (PPSAT) case challenging two parts of North Carolina’s 12-week abortion ban that took effect last year. PPSAT asked the court to permanently block two provisions: one requiring that any abortion after 12 weeks be provided in a hospital, and one demanding that providers document the existence of an intrauterine pregnancy before dispensing medication abortion. Both of these restrictions threaten to shrink the already extremely narrow window when abortion remains available in North Carolina. As it stands, North Carolina is the closest state where abortion is available past six weeks of pregnancy for thousands of patients across the South.
  • Also in North Carolina, a federal judge blocked parts of North Carolina’s laws limiting medication abortions. Under the ruling, advanced practice clinicians like nurse practitioners and physician assistants — not just physicians — can prescribe abortion pills; patients can take mifepristone at home; and they no longer have to schedule an in-person follow-up visit.
• Missouri: A new report released by the Association of American Medical Colleges found that Missouri had more than a 25% drop in applicants for OB-GYN medical residencies since its abortion ban went into effect in 2022. Dr. Colleen McNicholas from Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri sat down with the Missouri Independent to talk about the impacts of this trend.