Click in for more news from The Hill{beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story Dems’ post-Roe abortion argument hits its limit With President-elect Trump's victory and mixed results at the state level, Democrats and abortion rights advocates appear to have hit the limit of their attempts to tie Republicans and Trump to abortion bans across the country.© AP Democrats saw major victories on the issue in the 2022 midterms and Virginia’s off-year elections in 2023, but the party largely underperformed up and down the ballot on the issue with key groups on election night Tuesday, our colleagues Caroline Vakil and Julia Manchester report.  According to exit polling compiled by the AP and KFF, about a quarter of voters said abortion was the "single most important" factor in their vote, roughly 4 in 10 said it had a major impact on their decision to turn out and more than half said it had a major impact on which candidates they supported.  Still, the analysis concluded that “Vice President Harris's strong advantage on abortion was not enough to override negative views of the economy and immigration, issues where President- Elect Donald Trump held the edge.”   At the same time, reproductive rights were broadly popular at the state level Tuesday night, as 7 out of 10 states passed ballot measures aimed at preserving, expanding or restoring the right to an abortion—the broadest push for abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.  The measures won despite strong institutional opposition from anti-abortion advocacy groups, GOP politicians, judges and others who tried to stop the measures from even getting on the ballot in the first place.    The amendment victories show competing election priorities.   Voters largely approved of local abortion protections, but voters in some of the same states voted for openly anti-abortion GOP senators. Voters in Arizona, Missouri and Montana voted for Trump, who appointed three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, but still largely supported abortion rights.     “First, last night showed that preserving abortion rights is still a potent message for a majority of voters, even in red states that Trump carried easily. But in places where it didn’t translate to wins at the top of the ticket, it could be that voters saw it in isolation– not as an economic issue as well as a rights issue,” Democratic strategist Christy Setzer explained in a Wednesday email.     Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.  Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:  CDC calls for expanded bird flu testing among farm workersFederal officials said Thursday that farmworkers exposed to bird flu should be tested for the virus even if they are not showing any symptoms, especially if they were not wearing the proper personal protective equipment. The recommendation follows the release of a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing some dairy workers have been unknowingly …  Full Story  RFK Jr. says ‘entire departments’ at FDA ‘have to go’Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is slated to hold a potentially big role in a new Trump administration, said Wednesday there are “entire departments” within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that “have to go.” “In some categories … there are entire departments, like the nutrition department at the FDA … that have to go, that are not doing their job, they’re not …  Full Story  Gerry Connolly discloses cancer of esophagus diagnosis Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) revealed Thursday that he has been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, saying he is “very confident in a successful outcome.” “A few days ago, I learned I joined the ranks of millions of Americans. I have cancer of the esophagus. It was a surprise because, except for some intermittent abdominal aches and pains, I had no symptoms,” the Virginia Democrat wrote in a letter to his constituents that …  Full Story   In Other News Branch out with a different read: FDA proposes removing ineffective decongestant found in most cold medicine The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to remove from the market a common ingredient found in most oral over-the-counter cold medicines because it doesn’t work.  The move brings FDA one step closer to getting products containing oral phenylephrine pulled from stores.   FDA officials said an agency review of the available data found oral phenylephrine is not effective as a nasal decongestant when taken in liquid … Full Story   Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: CT DACA recipients can apply for state health insurance (WSHU)  MaineHealth Waldo Hospital announces it will end labor and delivery services (News Center Maine)  Prepared for Trump’s comeback, California's attorney general is ready to fight (KFF Health News)  What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: How key results could influence health policy (Roll Call)  TB reclaims title of deadliest infectious disease. That's an 'outrage' says WHO (NPR)  Compounded semaglutide associated with at least 10 deaths, Novo Nordisk CEO warns (CNN)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Trump picks Susie Wiles for White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who led President-elect Trump’s campaign for the past two years, will serve as his chief of staff when he takes office in January. “Susie … Read more Trump’s second term Cabinet: Here’s who may fill key roles President-elect Trump’s transition team has already started vetting potential candidates to serve in key administration posts once he takes office … Read more What People Think Opinion related to health submitted to The Hill: Is Department of Veterans Affairs care really ‘scandalously substandard’?  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Health Care newsletter Subscribe