The Quickie: Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Patients' Right to Emergency Abortion Care

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: SCOTUS oral arguments begin for emergency care, PP Votes rejects PA Senate nominee, and PP Votes South Atlantic set to launch voter engagement campaign.

SUPREME COURT HEARS ORAL ARGUMENTS ON PATIENTS’ RIGHT TO EMERGENCY ABORTION CARE: Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could end federal protections for pregnant people in emergencies who need abortion care. As Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, made clear in a statement, “Any decision that falls short of guaranteeing patients' access to abortion care in emergencies — as has been law for nearly 40 years — would be catastrophic. Unless the Supreme Court is willing to let pregnant people die or suffer grave health complications, it must ensure federal law continues to protect emergency abortion care.”

Reproductive rights groups will host a press briefing at 2 pm EDT to discuss this morning’s arguments. Reporters interested in attending can register here. For more information please reach out to [email protected].

PP VOTES REJECTS PENNSYLVANIA GOP SENATE NOMINEE: Today, Breana Ross, Pennsylvania state director for Planned Parenthood Votes, released the following statement in response to anti-abortion rights candidate David McCormick’s victory in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania:

“Despite his efforts to hide his abortion record, David McCormick is out of step with the majority of Pennsylvanians — who believe abortion should be between patients and their doctors, not politicians. McCormick is determined to move this country in the opposite direction. Pennsylvanians deserve a senator who will protect their health, not someone who will further assault their reproductive rights and endorse an abortion ban if elected. Planned Parenthood Votes will make sure voters know the truth about the threat McCormick poses and reject him this November. We must keep David McCormick far away from the U.S. Senate and even farther away from people's personal private medical decisions.” 

Read more here.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES! SOUTH ATLANTIC, PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION PAC NORTH CAROLINA, AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD VOTES SET TO LAUNCH $10 MILLION CAMPAIGN IN NC: Tomorrow, Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic, Planned Parenthood Action PAC North Carolina, and Planned Parenthood Votes will officially launch a $10 million engagement campaign across North Carolina. This multi-tiered program aims to protect abortion access in North Carolina as these organizations collectively fight to defeat anti-abortion candidates and elect true champions whom we can trust to protect our personal freedoms up and down the ballot. 

At the federal level, Planned Parenthood Votes’ goal is to win a federal governing trifecta which means re-electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and flipping the House to a pro-abortion rights majority.

Emily Thompson, the deputy director of Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic and spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Votes in North Carolina, told The New York Times in an exclusive story, “As we head into November, all eyes are on North Carolina because abortion access across the entire region will be determined by the results of this election…Our success is absolutely critical this year to protect abortion access and defend the bodily autonomy of every North Carolinian.”

Read more in the NYT here. Reporters interested in attending tomorrow’s press conference should contact [email protected].