Abortion is energizing both parties on Capitol Hill

Jul 24 2013

Roll Call reports that even though no legislation is expected to pass this year on abortion, the issue is galvanizing partisans. Also in congressional news, outlets look at GOP efforts to end funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and an effort to improve VA health records.

Roll Call: Abortion Energizes Parties, Even Without Passage
Congress is unlikely to pass any legislation making changes to abortion this year, but that hasn't stopped both sides from taking legislative steps aimed at energizing their core constituencies. The House Appropriations Committee included a ban on abortion coverage in the new health insurance marketplaces in the fiscal 2014 financial services spending bill approved on July 17 (Adams, 7/22).

CQ HealthBeat: Lobbyists Brace For New Attempt To Zero Out AHRQ
Medical research lobbyists are bracing for a new attempt by Republican appropriators to end funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality when a House appropriations subcommittee meets on Thursday to mark up a Labor-HHS-Education spending bill (Reichard, 7/22).

The Associated Press: Vt.'s US Rep. Says Vets Need Better Health Records
U.S. Rep. Peter Welch said Monday he is co-sponsoring a bill that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department to find a better way to share health information so veterans can have better access to their military health records. Delays in accessing the records can sometimes cause delays in getting VA benefits, said Welch, a Vermont Democrat (Ring, 7/22).