The Quickie: Senate Confirms Historic Nominee to the 4th Circuit

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: Senate confirms Nicole Berner, PPAF endorses candidates in key Senate races, Louisiana’s ban alters pregnancy care, and Planned Parenthood Votes on Trump signaling support for a national ban.

SENATE CONFIRMS HISTORIC NOMINEE TO THE 4TH CIRCUIT: Last night, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nicole Berner, a former Planned Parenthood litigator, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Nominated by President Biden last year, Berner spent her time at Planned Parenthood Federation of America litigating various cases on behalf of reproductive health care providers and their patients. She becomes the third out lesbian on any U.S. circuit court and the first to sit on the 4th Circuit. Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson celebrated the confirmation, saying:

“Congratulations to Nicole Berner on her historic confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. She joins the court as someone whose personal experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and professional experiences as a nonprofit litigator and labor rights advocate contribute to the diversity of our federal courts. Our nation and judiciary are stronger for it.”

Read more from PPAF here and here from the Huffington Post.

 

PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND ANNOUNCES CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENTS IN KEY SENATE RACES: Today, Planned Parenthood Action Fund announced its endorsement of sexual and reproductive health champions Ruben Gallego (AZ), Adam Schiff (CA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Elissa Slotkin (MI), and Colin Allred (TX) in their bids for Senate in 2024. These candidates are the Action Fund’s first non-incumbent Senate endorsements this election cycle. In response, Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, released the following statement: 

“We don’t have time to waste while our freedom to control our own bodies hangs in the balance. We know that if anti-abortion rights politicians gain control of the Senate, they will exploit their power to push through a national abortion ban. That is why this slate of unflappable reproductive rights champions must be elected to the Senate. Planned Parenthood Action Fund is committed to fighting to protect our rights alongside these champions, and all leaders dedicated to reproductive health, rights, and justice.”

 

ABORTION BAN ALTERS STANDARD PREGNANCY CARE IN LOUISIANA: A new report, titled Criminalized Care: How Louisiana’s Abortion Bans Endanger Patients and Clinicians reveals dangerous new trends in pregnancy care as a result of Louisiana’s abortion ban. Forced to navigate the new landscape in fear, providers in the state are threatened with up to 15 years in prison, $200,000 in fines, and loss of their medical license. In order to avoid the appearance of providing abortion care — and therefore risking consequences — providers have been forced to alter standard pregnancy care for patients, leading to unnecessary C-sections, postponing of prenatal care appointments, and transfer or delays in miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy management until a condition becomes life-threatening. 

These new trends are extremely unsafe, go against standard medical practices, and disproportionately affect low-income patients. Yet again, patients and providers are forced to deal with the devastating repercussions of political agendas at great personal risk. Louisiana already has the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the country which has only been made worse by the state's ban. 

Read more in NPR.

 

TRUMP SHOWS SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL ABORTION BAN AGAIN: Planned Parenthood Votes keeps telling you he’s going to do it, and so does he. In a radio interview,  Donald Trump doubled down on his support for a 15-week abortion ban. “The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15, and I’m thinking in terms of that, and it’ll come out to something that’s very reasonable,” he said. 

The former president suggests he is trying to meet in the middle, but there already is consensus on abortion and voters overwhelmingly oppose a national abortion ban. 

As Jenny Lawson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes, previously made clear, “We’ve long known where Donald Trump stands on abortion and it’s at odds with the majority of Americans. He is chiefly responsible for the ongoing public health crisis that has allowed 21 states to ban all or some abortions and yet he claims to want to find a ‘compromise’ on this issue. To be clear, there is no compromising on the basic right to control our lives and bodies. If elected, we know that Donald Trump will take his dangerous agenda to the White House, sign a national abortion ban, and wreak further havoc on our reproductive rights and personal freedoms. He remains a threat to our health, safety, and future, and must be stopped.”

Paid for by Planned Parenthood Votes, 123 William St, NY NY 10038. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.