POLITICO's Pulse Check

What Brett Kavanaugh means for health care

Episode Summary

POLITICO reporters discuss Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court and why the looming confirmation fight will be framed around health care.

Episode Notes

It's official: Judge Brett Kavanaugh is President Donald Trump's choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.

And his probable confirmation, and the Court's resulting shift to the right, raises serious questions for health care. What happens to the Affordable Care Act? Is Roe v. Wade doomed? And how does this change lawmakers' strategy ahead of the midterms?

In a bonus conversation, POLITICO's Jennifer Haberkorn and Adam Cancryn joined Dan Diamond to discuss Kavanaugh's background and why he was picked, how the selection is playing across key advocacy groups that could sway the nomination and what's next for the Court and Congress.

REFERENCED ON THE PODCAST

Kavanaugh's track record as an appeals court judge: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/09/brett-kavanaugh-track-record-675294

Adam's story on the reaction to Kavanaugh's selection: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/09/brett-kavanaugh-conservative-policies-675460

POLITICO's reporting on how Kavanaugh quickly emerged as a front-runner for the seat: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/09/brett-kavanaugh-trump-private-meeting-706137

POLITICO's Josh Gerstein dug into Kavanaugh's decision on abortion access for a teen immigrant, a ruling that's split conservatives. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/06/trump-supreme-court-pick-kavanaugh-immigrant-abortion-teen-700856

Jen's April 2018 reporting on how opponents of Roe v. Wade were preparing for this moment:
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/15/abortion-trump-supreme-court-roe-wade-473601

Jen's story on abortion cases that could come before the Supreme Court: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/03/trump-supreme-court-pick-abortion-667924