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SLATED SENATE APPOINTEE FACES SCRUTINY OVER ABORTION: The likely appointment of Kelly Loeffler to fill Republican Johnny Isakson’s seat representing Georgia in the Senate is drawing opposition from anti-abortion advocates.
Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, intends to appoint Loeffler, chief executive of bitcoin trading platform Bakkt and co-owner of Atlanta’s WNBA franchise, to the slot this week, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Conservatives have raised the alarm about Loeffler’s appointment because of the WNBA’s outspoken support for Planned Parenthood.
The news also drew backlash from Susan B. Anthony’s List because Loeffler has served on the board of Grady Memorial Hospital, which SBA List claimed provides abortions, though a spokeswoman for Grady told the Washington Examiner that it has not provided elective abortions for more than a decade.
“I don’t know where that came from, but it totally is not true,” the spokeswoman said.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA List, said that Loeffler’s affiliation to Grady should disqualify her from representing Georgia in the Senate, elaborating on Twitter that it was because Grady had links to Emory Medical School, which, according to its website, appears to offer training for students on providing abortions. The medical school did not get back to us to confirm in time for publication.
It’s unclear whether the opposition will derail the appointment. Kemp appeared to push back on the backlash in recent days, saying, “The idea that I would appoint someone to the U.S. Senate that is NOT pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, pro-freedom, and 100% supportive of our President (and his plan to Keep America Great) is ridiculous.”
Further, Georgia has one of the most anti-abortion records in the U.S.: Kemp signed a six-week abortion ban into law this year, which was blocked by a federal judge.
But anti-abortion groups remained opposed. “This moment calls for a Senate candidate with outspoken public pro-life courage like that of the governor,” Dannenfelser said.
Tom McClusky, president of March for Life Action, agreed.
“It would be hugely disappointing if Governor Kemp appoints her to a critical seat in the U.S. Senate,” he said. “After the Senate gains made by conservative and pro-life candidates in the 2018 election, this would be a huge setback.”
But at least one conservative defended Loeffler. Erick Erickson, editor of The Resurgent, said he was told by “multiple people” that Loeffler was a “devout, pro-life Catholic with a worldview that reflects that.”
If Loeffler is appointed, it will defy the will of President Trump and other Republicans. They want Kemp to nominate Rep. Doug Collins, a staunch conservative and defender of the president in the midst of impeachment. Conversely, Loeffler donated to Democrats several years ago.
Trump reportedly was not won over on Loeffler’s nomination when he met with her last week, AJC reported. GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida blasted Kemp on Twitter, suggesting he should be primaried in 2022. “Let’s see if you can win one without Trump,” Gaetz wrote.
The battle could get even uglier: Some think Collins will run for the Senate seat in the 2020 special election if Kemp doesn’t tap him to the role. Loeffler may have an advantage, however, in bringing more female voters to the polls and by pouring her own fortune into the race.
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FDA NOMINEE HEADED FOR LIKELY CONFIRMATION: The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has set up a Tuesday vote for Trump nominee Dr. Stephen Hahn, a Texas oncologist and healthcare executive, to be confirmed as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. After that, the vote will head before the full Senate.
During his confirmation hearing, Hahn sidestepped the question of whether he supported banning flavored e-cigarettes, saying that the decision would not be his because it was already under review by the White House. He did say, however, that he thought “aggressive action” would be needed to stop teen vaping.
TRUMP REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO ERADICATING AIDS: On World AIDS Day Sunday, Trump reaffirmed his plan to end the HIV epidemic within the next 10 years: “On World AIDS Day, The First Lady and I express our support for those living with HIV/AIDS and mourn the lives lost. We reaffirm our commitment to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic….in America, community by community where we will eradicate AIDS in 10 years, program already started. American leadership has proven that together we can save lives.”
The pilot program to distribute PrEP treatment set to begin Monday… maybe: The pilot program spearheaded by Health and Human Services to distribute two preventive therapies made by Gilead Sciences — Truvada and Descovy, both of which have list prices of thousands a month, is set to begin Monday, Bloomberg Law said, (HHS itself has only said it would begin Winter 2019). In May, Gilead donated enough Truvada to cover about 200,000 people at risk of contracting HIV for at least five years and possibly for six more after that, as part of the administration’s plan to combat AIDS.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR CONDEMNS VIOLENT ATTACKS ON EBOLA FIGHTERS IN VISIT: The World Health Organization’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for better security measures to keep Ebola outbreak responders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo safe. On Nov. 27, armed attackers, possibly Congolese, attacked two camps where Ebola fighters were housed, one of nearly 400 attacks this year that have killed 11 people and injured 83. “Even though we shouldn’t give up, your security must be ensured… There can be no more callous act than to target health professionals working to heal the sick and care for those in need,” Ghebreyesus said Sunday.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, ABORTION RATES KEEP FALLING: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that abortion rates fell 2% in 2016 to 623,471, part of a declining trend in abortion rates. The data excludes some major players, though: California, Maryland, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia. Still, the CDC’s data supports findings from the Guttmacher Institute, which collects more comprehensive data from the 808 known abortion providers in the U.S., concluding that abortion rates keep falling: In 2017, 862,320 abortions were performed, down 7% from 926,190 in 2014.
TEEN BIRTH RATES KEEP DROPPING, TOO: The CDC released a report last week showing a decline in the number of births among teens between the ages of 15-19 of 7% in 2018, to a record low of 179,871 babies born to teenagers. The report showed that the birth rate among teenagers declined in 38 states. The drop ranged from 19% in Montana to 4% in Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri. In the remaining 12 states and Washington, D.C., birth rates remained steady.
The Rundown
Politico Senate quicksand engulfs a bipartisan plan that Trump backs
Stat The view from West Virginia: the end of HIV transmission is a distant dream
New York Times podcast The Daily Why so many hospitals are suing their patients
The Dallas Morning News As more people search for abortion pills online, Texas opponents push to restrict access
The Washington Post How a fight over health care entangled Elizabeth Warren — and reshaped the Democratic presidential race
Calendar
MONDAY | Dec. 2
Senate in session. House not in session.
TUESDAY | Dec. 3
Congress in session.
10 a.m. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to vote on healthcare nominees, including Stephen Hahn nomination to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Details.
WEDNESDAY | Dec. 4
10 a.m. 2322 Rayburn. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee hearing on “Building Consumer Confidence by Empowering FDA to Improve Cosmetic Safety.” Details.
10:30 a.m. 2123 Rayburn. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on “Flu Season: U.S. Health Preparedness and Response.” Details.
Noon. Dirksen G-50. Alliance for Health Policy congressional briefing on “The Science, Policy, and Potential of Cell and Gene Therapies.” Details.
