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Hello, and happy Wednesday. We’re here with a special edition today featuring our election coverage of Republicans’ big night. Story ideas for Washington’s next era are welcome at [email protected].
Trump wins, paving way for MAHA movement
Former President Trump won the presidential election, which will unleash a new era in health care policy as his campaign’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement takes power. Read more from Sarah Owermohle about what a Trump presidency would mean for health care.
During his election night speech, Trump reiterated his promise to give Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a role on health care policy in his new administration. “We can add a few names like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” Trump told his supporters. “And he’s going to help make America healthy again… He’s a great guy and he really means that he wants to do some things, and we’re going to let him go to it.”
The House has not been called. It could still take a while to count ballots in competitive races. If Republicans can maintain control of the House, they would have trifecta control of the federal government, which gives them additional legislative tools to accomplish their goals without Democratic support.
GOP takes the Senate
Republicans are set to take control of the Senate next year, after defeating Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio and flipping retiring Sen. Joe Manchin’s West Virginia seat. I break down the six senators poised for power on health care policy in a Republican Senate, including up-and-coming leaders and open-minded policymakers willing to reach across the aisle.
In other races, Florida reelected Republican Rick Scott, in one of the few opportunities for Democrats to flip a seat. GOP lawmakers also prevailed in Texas and Nebraska. Other key Senate races in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, and Nevada haven’t been called yet, as of 5 a.m. Eastern Time. If Republicans win most of these races, they could have a commanding majority next Congress.
As expected, Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) won his race for former Sen. Bob Menendez’s seat. The transition is a big change for the pharmaceutical industry in particular, which has a big presence in the state. Menendez was an industry ally, while Kim advocates for more aggressive drug pricing reform.
First abortion rights setbacks since Dobbs
While voters in several states backed abortion rights on Tuesday, there were at least three notable defeats by late night: Nebraska voted to limit abortions to the first trimester, South Dakota rejected protections during that trimester, and Florida voted down a ballot initiative that would have reversed a six-week abortion ban and protected access up to fetus’ viability.
Advocates were quick to point out that there’s a unique barrier in Florida: The state requires 60% of votes for a measure to pass, versus the simple majority requirement in many other states. But with mixed results across states — including two competing measures deadlocked in Nebraska by the early hours of Wednesday — the country is still a patchwork of abortion restrictions.
There are some successes for abortion rights activists that we know now: Most notably, Missouri voted to enshrine abortion rights up to fetal viability, effectively reversing a total ban. Colorado, Maryland, and New York passed reproductive rights protections that further shore up the blue states’ positions as safe havens for abortion. Arizona also passed an initiative to protect abortion in its constitution up to a fetus’ viability.
Florida proposal to legalize weed fails
Florida’s ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana earned 56% of voter support, just shy of the 60% necessary in order for it to pass. The cannabis industry lobbied hard to pass the initiative. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis opposed the measure, saying it was too broad to enable adequate government regulation of marijuana businesses.
North Dakota and South Dakota also voted on whether to legalize recreational weed for adults. As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, the Associated Press had not yet called the outcomes of these proposals. Nebraska voted to legalize marijuana medically and Massachusetts voted against legalizing psychedelics.
What we’re reading
- Sutter Health CEO donates to Harris, whose investigation led to 2019 antitrust settlement, STAT