This Week in Congress

House

The House will return on November 13, 2022.

Senate

The Senate will be back in session on November 14, 2022.

Stop the Sexualization of Children Act of 2022

This week, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana and 32 other Republican members introduced the bill which would prohibit the use of federal funds “to develop, implement, facilitate, or fund any sexually oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10.  The bill defines “sexually-oriented material” as “any depiction, description, or simulation of sexual activity, any lewd or lascivious depiction or description of human genitals, or any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects.”  The legislation would affect all federally funded facilities and programs, which would include public libraries, federally funded schools, military bases, and hospitals. It would also prohibit schools from providing sex education or library books that include LGBTQ topics to children under 10.

Election News

There are 17 days until the November 8, midterm elections.

Issues Influencing the Election

Rising inflation and consumer prices; increases in violent crime; immigration; and abortion rights.

Senate Races

There are 35 US Senators up for reelection.  Of that number, 24 seats are projected to be safe for the incumbent party.  That includes 15 of the 21 Republican-held seats, and nine of the 14 seats held by Democrats. The latest polls indicate that Democrats will hold 45 seats and  Republicans 44. The other 11 seats are polling as tossups including: Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona, New Hampshire, Utah, and Colorado

It is anticipated that control of the Senate will not be decided on November 8 because both Georgia and Louisiana require the winning candidate to receive 50% of the vote or face a runoff. If necessary, Georgia will hold their runoff on December 6, while Louisiana will vote on December 10.

House Races

All 435 representatives are up for election.  Currently Democrats maintain a majority in the U.S. House with 220 seats to Republicans’ 212, with three vacancies. Polls are focused on 85 house races.  Democrats are likely to hold 14 with another 15 leaning Democrat and 21 other races as tossup.  Republicans are likely to pick up 9 seats with 10 other races as tossups.

Other Legislation and Happenings Around the Nation

Monkeypox

Low Antibody Response to Monkeypox Vaccine

A new study shows a low antibody response to the two-dose Jynneos monkeypox vaccine in non-primed people, or those who had not previously received a smallpox vaccine. The article can be found here

NYC has Almost Eliminated Monkeypox

As New York City gains control over the monkeypox outbreak, advocates are warning that vulnerable groups still remain at risk. Cases citywide began dropping late this summer: After a daily average of 74 reported infections in late July, the city is now recording fewer than 10 cases per day. Last week, New York City’s Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said this progress was promising, but it was too soon to declare victory just yet.  The article can be found here

COVID-19

Omicron Subvariants Can Evade Immunity

An omicron subvariant is once again demonstrating immune-dodging abilities, posing a threat to both vaccinated and previously infected individuals. A report published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the subvariant, called BA.4.6, could drive reinfections. The article can be found here

WHO

An advisory committee to the WHO discussed ending the Covid-19 global health emergency. The panel decided to advise the WHO to maintain the state of emergency, citing the disease’s continuing toll. “There is still too much fear that termination of the [public health emergency] might aggravate existing inequalities in access to vaccines and therapeutics and might demobilize all the efforts engaged to prepare for future pandemics,” said Didier Houssin, who chairs the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee. He said the panel would evaluate how countries in the northern hemisphere fare during the coming winter. Some countries in Europe have already started seeing an uptick in infection cases.

Free Vaccines for Kids

This week CDC advisers voted 15-0 to add Covid-19 vaccines to the federal Vaccines for Children Program, paving the way for the shots to be provided to kids whose families may not be able to afford them. The vote doesn’t mean the vaccines are mandated for children; it is simply a way to cover the cost of the shots. The Vaccines for Children Program purchases vaccines and distributes them to state and local health agencies, which then distribute them to providers and clinics.

Social Security Administration Gender in Records

This week the Social Security Administration announced that people will now be allowed to select the sex that best aligns with their gender identity in SSA records, a policy change intended to be more inclusive of transgender Americans. The agency said it would now accept people’s self-identified gender identity of male or female, even if their identity documents show otherwise, and it is exploring a future policy that would allow for an “X” sex designation for people who do not identify as either male or female. The change followed similar measures enacted by other federal agencies.  Earlier this year, the State Department announced that it would give Americans the option of indicating their gender with an “X” on passports and the Transportation Security Administration also announced it would offer the “X” gender option for applicants to its Trusted Traveler programs, which expedite travelers at U.S. airports and across international borders.

Abortion

South Carolina

The South Carolina Senate rejected a proposal to ban nearly all abortions in the state but left open a small chance that some compromise could be reached before the end of the year. The Senate voted 26-17 to insist on its bill keeping South Carolina’s current ban on abortions after cardiac activity is present, which is usually around six weeks.

Pharmacy Investigations

This week the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into chain pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS over complaints that some pharmacists are refusing to fill prescriptions for medications that could threaten a patient’s pregnancy.  The policies have received criticisms amid reports that some patients have been unable to receive treatments for medical conditions. The medications reportedly being withheld include those used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, high blood sugar and severe acne. Since Dobbs & state laws that have gone into effect, HHS has received complaints about chain pharmacies across the U.S. for not complying with their federal obligations to fill prescriptions.

Medical Residency Applications

Students in obstetrics-gynecology and family medicine face tough choices about where to advance their training in a landscape where legal access to abortion varies from state to state. In some cases, applicants who want to perform abortions as part of their career are pursuing residencies in states with more liberal reproductive laws and perhaps continuing their careers there, too — potentially setting up less permissive states for a shortage of OB-GYNs.

DOD to Pay for Abortion Travel

This week Defense Secretary Austin told troops that the DOD will pay for travel if they’re based in a state where abortion is not legal. The move could impact the estimated 200,000 women in the US military (who make up about 17% of the US armed forces). But that’s not all. Austin’s also ordering the DoD to prioritize privacy for women, give them more time to report pregnancies, and basically telling commanders not to ask too many questions about leave requests. The announcement could help the DOD with retaining and recruiting women. But it also raises questions about how the DoD can deliver on promises to help pay for travel given the Hyde Amendment — which prevents federal dollars from going toward most abortions. DoD officials acknowledge there’s not much they can do for women in states where abortion is banned — but hope the order will still help women in conversations with commanders.