GOP Vermont Gov. greenlights legal protections for abortion pills
Fox News
Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday signed into law a bill explicitly protecting access to abortion-inducing mifepristone, regardless of FDA approval status.
"Today, we reaffirm once again that Vermont stands on the side of privacy, personal autonomy and reproductive liberty, and that providers are free to practice without fear," Republican Gov. Phil Scott said in a statement.
In the identical bills passed by the House and Senate, "reproductive health care services" includes "medication that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for termination of a pregnancy as of January 1, 2023, regardless of the medication’s current FDA approval status." Planned Parenthood believes other states' shield laws will cover the issue but that Vermont’s law makes it explicit, according to Lucy Leriche, of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.
Dozens of House lawmakers rally around funding Afghan visa program as Trump vows major spending cuts
Reps. Jason Crow and Zach Nunn are leading 49 other House lawmakers in a letter urging Congress to preserve the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program.