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U.S. House passes bills to ensure nationwide abortion access, interstate travel
The U.S. House passed legislation Friday that would reinstate access to abortion, though it’s highly unlikely the two bills approved on mostly party-line votes — or more that will come in the weeks ahead — would clear the 50-50 Senate.
Same-sex marriage and contraception at risk after abortion ruling, U.S. House panel told
WASHINGTON — Advocates told Congress on Thursday that a U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning a landmark abortion rights case is likely only the beginning, and could be followed by similar action by the high court on same-sex marriage, contraception and more. Witnesses at a U.S. House Judiciary Committee advised that to prevent that from happening, […]
Biden to unveil executive order protecting abortion access
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order Friday morning detailing how his administration plans to protect access to reproductive health care services, including abortion. The executive order and a late-morning speech come exactly two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority released its opinion undoing the constitutional right to […]
Medicare prescription drug negotiation plan advanced by U.S. Senate Democrats
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats have reached a tentative agreement to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs in the Medicare program, the first step in passing a long-stalled package that’s expected to include tax and climate change provisions as well. The deal, brokered between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin […]
U.S. Supreme Court overturns right to abortion in landmark decision
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established abortion as a constitutional right. The decision by five of the Court’s nine justices will allow each state to set its own abortion laws, leading to a patchwork of access throughout the country. The result is expected to be an […]
Biden pitches a summer gas tax holiday as price hovers around $5 a gallon
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Congress and state legislatures to provide a temporary reprieve from gas taxes — but members of his own party and Republicans appeared opposed, making it look unlikely on the federal level. In addition, many state legislatures are out of session for the year and aren’t expected […]
FDA greenlights emergency use of COVID vaccines for kids under 5
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized emergency use of two COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5, moving the country one step closer to having shots for all age groups. The decision leaves just one hurdle, a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before parents can begin getting […]
FDA outside advisers recommend Pfizer, Moderna COVID vaccines for kids under 5
WASHINGTON — Parents of children under 5 are one step closer to vaccinating their young kids against COVID-19 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s outside vaccine panel recommended emergency use authorizations of two COVID-19 vaccines Wednesday. The 21-person Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend the FDA approve emergency use […]
Will it be ‘every state for themselves’ as the federal COVID cash dries up?
WASHINGTON — State and local health departments remain in limbo over whether they’ll need to single-handedly fund their own COVID-19 vaccines and treatments as a stalemate in Congress drags into its fourth month. The Biden administration has raised alarm bells about the risk of inaction after sending Congress a request for $22.5 billion in early […]
U.S. House passes ‘red flag’ gun control bill from Georgia Rep. McBath
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Thursday passed a “red flag” gun control bill that would allow federal courts to temporarily remove a firearm from an individual who is adjudged to pose a threat to themselves or others. In a 224-202 nearly party line vote, the House passed Georgia Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath’s bill, known […]
Fourth grade survivor of Uvalde shooting tells Congress: ‘I don’t want it to happen again’
Content Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions related to gun violence. WASHINGTON — A fourth grader who survived the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting where 19 students and two teachers were murdered told lawmakers Wednesday that she is afraid to go back to school. “I don’t want it to happen again,” 11-year-old Miah Cerrillo said in […]
Bipartisan U.S. Senate bill aiding veterans exposed to burn pits edges toward passage
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate is set to approve a sweeping bill in the coming days steered by the bipartisan duo of Montana’s Jon Tester and Kansas’ Jerry Moran that would expand health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits overseas — though a few final details linger. Democrats and Republicans on Capitol […]