The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted Friday to draft a statement regarding the Eucharist after much debate surrounding whether President Joe Biden and other Catholic lawmakers who support abortion are eligible to receive communion. The conference voted 168 to 55, with six abstentions, to draft the statement over the summer and present for edits in November. CNN reported that the statement is expected to include a portion with an admonition to Catholic politicians who "disobey church teaching on abortion and other core doctrinal issues." When asked Thursday whether Biden is eligible to receive communion, the chairman of the USCCB doctrine committee said the committee must examine "Eucharistic consistency." Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history, voted against abortion rights bills for most of his career until he dropped his support for the 1977 Hyde Amendment in 2019 and pledged to codify Roe v. Wade during his 2020 presidential campaign. 

The story received wide coverage from outlets across the political spectrum. Some coverage from left-rated outlets highlighted quotes from Catholics who favor abortion rights, as well as data reporting that more than half of U.S. Catholics support abortion and think Biden should receive communion. Some coverage from right-rated outlets highlighted both sides of the debate Thursday from Catholic bishops and officials; most framed Biden's abortion stance in a negative light.