Hart Health Strategies

Reconciliation Update – The Senate continued its consideration of the GOP’s budget reconciliation package last week. The Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released its portion of the legislative text on Tuesday, which primarily focused on student loans but also included a few health proposals related to Affordable Care Act subsidies and health plan abortion coverage. Legislative text from the Finance Committee has not yet been released but will contain the bill’s remaining health-related provisions, including any proposed changes to the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives last month. Efforts are ongoing to ensure the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has enough support for passage and complies with the Byrd rule and the chamber’s requirements for budget reconciliation. Floor consideration is expected to begin the week of June 23, with the goal of enacting the bill before July 4.

 

It was reported last week that HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) is circulating a measure that would codify a most-favored-nation adjacent policy for inclusion in the budget reconciliation package. Cassidy’s proposal would allow the Medicare program to claw back money from pharmaceutical manufacturers that sell their products to other wealthy nations at a price lower than is available in the U.S. The policy would apply to the 50 drugs that cost Medicare the most money, to be evaluated every three years. The amount of money recouped would be based on the gross domestic product (GDP) of the other countries – those with a nominal GDP that is not less than 3% of the U.S. It remains unclear how much support Cassidy has garnered for his bill.

 

Thirty-eight House Republicans led by Budget Committee Vice Chair Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Tuesday stating that any additional tax cuts added to the reconciliation bill by the Senate “must be matched dollar-for-dollar by real, enforceable spending reductions.” The letter warns against the use of “budget gimmicks” and accounting tactics like timing shifts to reduce the cost of the package. Republicans can only lose three votes in either chamber and still pass the bill along party lines.

 

House Republicans finalized and adopted revisions to H.R. 1 last week to keep the legislation in compliance with the Senate’s rules for budget reconciliation.  The changes were passed in a mostly party line 213-207 vote on Wednesday. They do not impact the health-related provisions of the measure.

 

House Passes Trump Administration’s Proposed Funding Rescissions – The House of Representatives cleared the White House’s $9.4 billion rescissions request last week in a 214-212 vote. Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Mark Amodei (Nev.), Mike Turner (Ohio), and Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.) voted against the bill. The rescissions package includes $900 million in previously approved congressional funding for global health programs. The bill would reduce funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), in addition to cuts to other HIV/AIDS, family planning, and reproductive health initiatives. The legislation will now be sent to the Senate for consideration, where it will only require a simple majority vote for passage. Several Republican senators have raised concerns about the cut to PEPFAR, prompting conversations on Capitol Hill about the complicated process for amending the rescissions request. Congress must act on the request within 45 days before the administration would be required to spend the funds.

 

RFK Jr. Fires Entire Vaccine Advisory Panel – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) last week. ACIP is an independent panel responsible for advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccines and making recommendations that determine insurance coverage of the shots. It is generally regarded as the most influential of the four external government bodies that advise federal agencies on vaccine policy.

 

“A clean sweep is needed to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy said in an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal. The HHS Secretary has long accused ACIP members of having conflicts of interest and being too influenced by industry, but he pledged to maintain the panel without changes during his confirmation process to secure the vote of Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.). “Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion,” Cassidy wrote in a post on X, stating that he would continue to talk with Secretary Kennedy to ensure this is not the case. Cassidy later clarified that the previous assurance he received from Kennedy was related to the ACIP process rather than who sits on the panel.

 

ACIP members, who are appointed to four-year terms, meet three times a year to review data on vaccines and vote on updates to the CDC’s vaccine schedule. While the CDC director has the authority to overrule ACIP recommendations, such occurrence is rare. ACIP is next scheduled to meet June 25-27; an HHS spokesperson stated that the meeting will continue as scheduled with new membership.  Kennedy has pledged to bring in “highly credentialed physicians” and “not anti-vaxxers” to fill the committee. He has so far announced the names of eight new ACIP members:

• Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD, psychiatrist and neuroscientist
• Martin Kulldorff, MD, PhD, biostatistician and epidemiologist
• Retsef Levi, PhD, Professor of Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management
• Robert W. Malone, MD, physician-scientist and biochemist
• Cody Meissner, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
• James Pagano, MD, emergency medicine physician
• Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN, who holds a doctorate in public health and nursing
• Michael A. Ross, MD, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University

Concerns have been raised that the reconstituted panel already includes several vaccine critics, including people who have specifically questioned the safety of mRNA vaccines and the childhood vaccine schedule more broadly.

 

Grassley, Wyden Release Report on OPO Oversight – Senate Finance Committee member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released a report titled Operation Transplant: Examining the Need for Oversight in the Organ Donation System last week. The report addresses two issues of long-standing concern to the committee related to the recovery of pancreata for research, which is counted toward an organ procurement organization’s (OPO) recertification, and the amount of oversight and transparency over conflicts of interest among OPO leaders and governing board members. The report details an 850% increase in the total number of pancreata recovered for research without reports of a clear corresponding research benefit, and recommends that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) further clarify the requirements and expectations of OPOs reporting pancreata to be counted toward certification or recertification. Regarding CMS’s conflicts of interest policy, the lawmakers suggest that the agency further clarify the requirements and expectations of OPOs to make clear that OPO governing boards and medical advisory boards, as well as CMS surveyors, should monitor actual and potential conflicts of interest.

 

GOP Rep. Mark Green, Emergency Physician, to Retire from Congress – Rep. Mark Green, MD (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, plans to resign from Congress. He announced last week that he has accepted a position in the private sector. Green notified GOP leadership that he would vacate his seat after the next vote on the budget reconciliation package in the House of Representatives. Upon Green’s resignation, the chamber will have 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) is required to order a special election within 10 days of Green’s resignation, set a date for primary elections to occur within 55 to 60 days, and schedule a general election to take place within 100 to 107 days.

 

HHS No. 2 Sworn In – Jim O’Neill was sworn in as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week. O’Neill served at HHS during the George W. Bush administration and is the former CEO of the Thiel Foundation. As the second-in-command at HHS, O’Neill will be responsible for managing the department’s day to day operations. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Gary Andres to serve as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services on Monday.

 

MACPAC Releases June Report to Congress – The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Committee released its June Report to Congress last week. MACPAC’s latest report makes recommendations on transitions from pediatric to adult care for Medicaid-covered children and youth with special health care needs, considers appropriate access to residential behavioral health treatment services for children, describes findings from the Commission’s analytic work on access to medications for opioid use disorder in Medicaid, provides an overview on the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and looks at self-direction for Medicaid home- and community-based services. The full report can be found here.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Appropriations subcommittee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill; 5:00 pm.; July 21

 

House Appropriations full committee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill; 10:00 a.m.; July 24

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.3826 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to diabetes outpatient self-management training services, to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test the provision of virtual diabetes outpatient self-management training services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schrier, Kim [Rep.-D-WA-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3823 — To prevent the illegal sale of firearms, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-D-IL-5]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3821 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the label of a drug intended for human use to identify each ingredient in such drug that is, or is derived directly or indirectly from, a major food allergen or a gluten-containing grain, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Morrison, Kelly [Rep.-D-MN-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3812 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the collection of a health care copayment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from a veteran under certain conditions attributable to a failure of the Department of Veterans Affairs to process certain information within applicable timeliness standards, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gray, Adam [Rep.-D-CA-13]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3808 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to mental health services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3807 — To authorize the Secretary of Defense to procure software and data as a service to support the development of artificial intelligence systems, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fallon, Pat [Rep.-R-TX-4]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.Res.484 — Expressing support for the recognition of “Hidradenitis Suppurativa Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.1989 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase transparency and expand coverage options with respect to home and community-based services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schmitt, Eric [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1996 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve coverage of audiology services under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.3833 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide comprehensive assistance for family caregivers of eligible veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barrett, Tom [Rep.-R-MI-7]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3839 — To codify Executive Order 14155 (relating to withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization); Sponsor: Burchett, Tim [Rep.-R-TN-2]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Armed Services; Intelligence (Permanent Select); Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3841 — To enhance the cybersecurity of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector; Sponsor: Crow, Jason [Rep.-D-CO-6]; Committees: House – Homeland Security; Energy and Commerce

 

S.Res.270 — A resolution designating June 6, 2025, as National Naloxone Awareness Day; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.2004 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on best practices for screening and treatment of congenital syphilis under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Heinrich, Martin [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.2005 — A bill to improve the Institutional Development Award program of the National Institutes of Health; Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.2008 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to prohibit Medicaid and CHIP funding for gender transition procedures; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2011 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure coverage of mental and behavioral health services furnished through telehealth; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.495 — Supporting the designation of the week of June 9 through June 15, 2025, as “National Men’s Health Week”; Sponsor: Carter, Troy A. [Rep.-D-LA-2]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.3855 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit smoking on the premises of any facility of the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3863 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish annual mental health consultations to certain veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Budzinski, Nikki [Rep.-D-IL-13]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3864 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to prohibit the use of quality-adjusted life years and similar measures in coverage and payment determinations under Federal health care programs; Sponsor: Cammack, Kat [Rep.-R-FL-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3866 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on best practices for screening and treatment of congenital syphilis under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ciscomani, Juan [Rep.-R-AZ-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Natural Resources

 

H.R.3873 — To increase funding for cancer research by the National Cancer Institute to be more in proportion to the mortality rates of cancer; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Appropriations; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3878 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure adequate coverage of annual wellness visits at rural health clinics under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Hinson, Ashley [Rep.-R-IA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3884 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure coverage of mental and behavioral health services furnished through telehealth; Sponsor: Matsui, Doris O. [Rep.-D-CA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3885 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide community-based training opportunities for medical students in rural areas and medically underserved communities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Miller, Carol D. [Rep.-R-WV-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3886 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study to determine whether RNA sequencing can be used to effectively diagnose PTSD in veterans; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3890 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sewell, Terri A. [Rep.-D-AL-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.2024 — A bill to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide for additional requirements with respect to the navigator program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.2027 — A bill to provide for digital communication of prescribing information for drugs (including biological products), and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mullin, Markwayne [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.2029 — A bill to protect the privacy of personal reproductive or sexual health information, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hirono, Mazie K. [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation

 

S.2031 — A bill to prohibit certain noncompete agreements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Murphy, Christopher [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.2032 — A bill to provide for the establishment of Medicare part E public health plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2035 — A bill to establish statutory rights to choose to receive, provide, and cover fertility treatments, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.502 — Of inquiry requesting the President and directing the Secretaries of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services to transmit, respectively, certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to the development of a centralized database by the Federal government and Palantir Technologies Inc. that compiles American citizens’ personal information across Federal agencies and departments, including confidential taxpayer, identity, wage, child support, bank account, student loan, health, medical, financial, or other information; Sponsor: Doggett, Lloyd [Rep.-D-TX-37]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.3906 — To amend the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 to restore amounts available for Defense Health Agency research, development, test, and evaluation, including Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs; Sponsor: Carson, André [Rep.-D-IN-7]; Committees: House – Appropriations

 

H.R.3907 — To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide for additional requirements with respect to the navigator program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Castor, Kathy [Rep.-D-FL-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3910 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow parental choice in the selection of primary health insurance coverage or primary coverage under a group health plan for certain dependent children; Sponsor: Davids, Sharice [Rep.-D-KS-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3911 — To provide for the establishment of Medicare part E public health plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gomez, Jimmy [Rep.-D-CA-34]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3916 — To protect the privacy of personal reproductive or sexual health information, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Jacobs, Sara [Rep.-D-CA-51]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.2050 — A bill to amend the Social Security Act to provide for an increased Federal medical assistance percentage for State expenditures on certain behavioral health services furnished under the Medicaid program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Warnock, Raphael G. [Sen.-D-GA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2055 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide comprehensive assistance for family caregivers of eligible veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.2057 — A bill to streamline enrollment in health insurance affordability programs and minimum essential coverage, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Van Hollen, Chris [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2059 — A bill to amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to enhance financial support for rural and safety net hospitals providing maternity, labor, and delivery services to vulnerable populations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2061 — A bill to require the Interagency Working Group on Toxic Exposure to conduct research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of descendants of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.2062 — A bill to improve supply chain resiliency for critical drug products with vulnerable supply chains and ensure that reserves of critical drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients are maintained to prevent supply disruptions in the event of drug shortages or public health emergencies; Sponsor: Peters, Gary C. [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.2064 — A bill to amend title XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of comprehensive tobacco cessation services under such titles, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Sen.-D-DE]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2066 — A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to establish a pilot program for testing the use of a predictive risk-scoring algorithm to provide oversight of payments for durable medical equipment and clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sheehy, Tim [Sen.-R-MT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2068 — A bill to ban drug manufacturers from using direct-to-consumer advertising, including social media, to promote their products; Sponsor: Sanders, Bernard [Sen.-I-VT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.2069 — A bill to amend title XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to provide for 12-month continuous enrollment of individuals under the Medicaid program and Children’s Health Insurance Program; Sponsor: Whitehouse, Sheldon [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2072 — A bill to promote affordable access to evidence-based opioid treatments under the Medicare program and require coverage of medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, opioid overdose reversal medications, and recovery support services by health plans without cost-sharing requirements; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2073 — A bill to establish a State public option through Medicaid to provide Americans with the choice of a high-quality, low-cost health insurance plan; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2076 — A bill to provide for an emergency increase in Federal funding to State Medicaid programs for expenditures on home and community-based services; Sponsor: Luján, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2077 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure health insurance coverage continuity for former foster youth; Sponsor: Welch, Peter [Sen.-D-VT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.2084 — A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of dental and oral health services, vision services, and hearing services under the Medicare and Medicaid programs; Sponsor: Alsobrooks, Angela D. [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.507 — Expressing support for the designation of June 10 as “FSGS Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.510 — Recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Children’s Hospital Association’s Family Advocacy Day and honoring the contributions of children’s hospitals and their patients and families; Sponsor: Castor, Kathy [Rep.-D-FL-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3942 — To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to enhance financial support for rural and safety net hospitals providing maternity, labor, and delivery services to vulnerable populations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3947 — To streamline enrollment in health insurance affordability programs and minimum essential coverage, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bera, Ami [Rep.-D-CA-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3951 — To amend the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 and the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 to improve the temporary licensure requirements for contract health care professionals who perform medical disability examinations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ciscomani, Juan [Rep.-R-AZ-6]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3954 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to count a period of receipt of outpatient observation services in a hospital toward satisfying the 3-day inpatient hospital stay requirement for coverage of skilled nursing facility services under Medicare, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Courtney, Joe [Rep.-D-CT-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3955 — To improve supply chain resiliency for critical drug products with vulnerable supply chains and ensure that reserves of critical drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients are maintained to prevent supply disruptions in the event of drug shortages or public health emergencies; Sponsor: Craig, Angie [Rep.-D-MN-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3980 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to award grants for expanding, modernizing, or streamlining emergency department operations; Sponsor: Lawler, Michael [Rep.-R-NY-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3990 — To provide Medicaid assistance to individuals and families affected by a disaster or emergency, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Panetta, Jimmy [Rep.-D-CA-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3995 — To establish a State public option through Medicaid to provide Americans with the choice of a high-quality, low-cost health insurance plan; Sponsor: Schrier, Kim [Rep.-D-WA-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3996 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to establish a pilot program for testing the use of a predictive risk-scoring algorithm to provide oversight of payments for durable medical equipment and clinical diagnostic laboratory tests under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Schweikert, David [Rep.-R-AZ-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.4002 — To repeal changes made by health care reform laws to the Medicare exception to the prohibition on certain physician referrals for hospitals; Sponsor: Van Duyne, Beth [Rep.-R-TX-24]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.4007 — To unfreeze and release funding for grant agreements of the National Institutes of Health, prohibit termination of such agreements for active and ongoing research, require the inclusion of termination clauses in such agreements, and prohibit termination of such agreements for no longer effectuating program goals or agency priorities; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

Reconciliation Update – Congress returned to session last week, and work is ongoing in the Senate to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), the GOP’s House-passed budget reconciliation package containing President Donald Trump’s domestic policy priorities.  Republicans have convened multiple closed-door strategy sessions to address issues raised by a number of internal factions who have expressed an interest in making changes to the legislation. The GOP can only afford to lose three Republican senators on the expected party-line vote, with Vice President JD Vance available to serve as the tiebreaker if needed.  Several Republicans, including Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), have raised concerns about the bill’s Medicaid-related provisions. The lawmakers have expressed an openness to the Medicaid work requirements proposed by the House of Representatives, but the bill’s freeze on provider taxes appears to be of significant concern. Additionally, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) recently stated that he will not vote to pass the reconciliation package if it includes an increase to the cap on the federal government’s borrowing authority. The President has also weighed in on this issue, saying the debt limit should be “entirely scrapped.”

 

Democrats remain unified in opposition to the bill, but being in the minority do not have the votes to stop the bill from advancing. They are nevertheless working to challenge aspects of the measure with the Senate parliamentarian – Elizabeth MacDonough – as H.R. 1 undergoes the “Byrd bath” process. The Byrd Rule requires that only policies that affect federal spending, revenue, or the debt limit can be passed via reconciliation. The nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian determines whether the requirements governing the Senate’s budget reconciliation process are being followed, and it is rare for the majority party to ignore or overrule the parliamentarian’s decisions.

 

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its full score of the House-passed reconciliation package on Wednesday. The CBO estimates that the measure will increase the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade, while the number of uninsured individuals would increase by 10.9 million.  House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) rejected the CBO’s estimate, simply stating that the budget agency’s claims are wrong. Assuming the Senate makes changes to the package, the CBO will eventually need to complete a score of the new version of the bill as well.

 

It was reported last week that Senate Republicans are considering possible Medicare provisions to offset the cost of the reconciliation package. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) confirmed that any proposals aimed at waste, fraud, and abuse are on the table for consideration. One potential option under consideration is billing reforms to address up-coding by insurers in the Medicare Advantage program such as the No UPCODE Act (S. 1105) introduced by Sens. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).  If the Senate amends the reconciliation legislation, the House will need to vote on the amended legislation, or the package would need to be reconciled via the conference committee process. Republicans are aiming to send the reconciliation package to President Donald Trump for his signature before the July 4 recess.

 

House Passes SUPPORT Act Reauthorization – The House of Representatives passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483) last week in a 366-57 bipartisan vote. The bill would reauthorize billions of dollars in funding for substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery programs created by the landmark SUPPORT Act, which was passed with widespread bipartisan support in 2018. H.R. 2483 would extend until 2030 initiatives that support first responder access to naloxone, enhanced substance use disorder treatment options for pregnant and postpartum women, state prescription drug monitoring programs, workforce participation by individuals in recovery, and Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers. Thirty Democrats were joined by 27 Republicans in voting against the legislation. Several Democrats, including House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), cited concerns about the Trump administration’s undermining of SUPPORT and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) more broadly as their reason for voting against the bill. The White House proposed eliminating certain SUPPORT Act initiatives in the President’s fiscal year 2026 budget. Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) has countered that recent staffing cuts and reorganization efforts at SAMHSA have not impacted the SUPPORT Act’s implementation. H.R. 2483 will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.

 

Senate Passes Military Aviator Cancer Bill – The Senate passed the Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act (S. 201) last week by unanimous consent. The legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to work with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study the prevalence and mortality of cancer among individuals who served as active-duty aircrew of a fixed-wing aircraft in the U.S. Armed Forces. Companion legislation was previously passed by the House of Representatives. The Senate-passed bill will now return to the House for final passage.

 

FY 2026 Ag-FDA Appropriations Bill Advances – The appropriations process is underway in the House of Representatives, where the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Agriculture-Rural Development-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) annual appropriations bill was advanced out of subcommittee on Thursday in a 9-7 party line vote. The spending measure would provide $6.8 billion in total funding for the FDA – in line with the President’s proposed budget and $271 million, or 3.9%, lower than currently enacted levels. This includes $3.5 billion in discretionary spending – $409 million, or 11.4%, lower than FY 2025. The bill would prohibit covered agencies from using funding to create new programs, eliminate existing activities, reorganize offices, or contract out functions unless approved by congressional appropriators. It would also require the FDA to spend at least $200 million on e-cigarette enforcement, and restrict funds from being spent on communications related to mis-, dis-, or mal-information or to censor constitutionally protected speech. The full Appropriations panel is scheduled to markup the bill on June 11. The Appropriations Committee plans to complete committee work on its bills by the end of July, with the potential for floor votes on bills before August recess. On the other side of the Capitol, Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has stated his plans to “consider as many appropriations bills as possible under regular order.” Lawmakers have until September 30 to pass the 12 annual appropriations measures or clear a stopgap government funding bill to avoid a federal government shutdown at the end of the fiscal year.

 

White House Proposes Global Health Funding Rescissions – The Trump administration submitted a $9.4 billion rescissions request to Congress last week that proposes to claw back $900 million in previously approved congressional funding for global health programs. In addition to cuts to HIV/AIDS, family planning, and reproductive health initiatives, the White House proposes to reduce funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by $400 million. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) has stated that she will not support the proposed cut to PEPFAR, which she characterized as a program “that has saved literally millions of lives and has been extremely effective and well run.” The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the rescissions package this week before it is considered by the Senate, where it will only require a simple majority vote for passage.  Congress must act on the recessions request within 45 days before the administration would be required to spend the funds.

 

Senate Confirms HHS Deputy Secretary – The Senate confirmed Jim O’Neill to serve as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in a 52-43 vote on Thursday. O’Neill served at HHS during the George W. Bush administration and is the former CEO of the Thiel Foundation. As the second-in-command at HHS, O’Neill will be responsible for managing the department’s day to day operations.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the National Institutes of Health;” 10:00 a.m.; June 10

 

House Appropriations full committee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill, Subcommittee Allocations; 2:00 p.m.; June 10

 

House Appropriations full committee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill; 10:00 a.m.; June 11

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing “Made in America: Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing and Our Health Care Supply Chain;” 10:15 a.m.; June 11

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations legislative hearing including H.R. 3482, Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act; H.R. 3494, VA Hospital Inventory Management System Authorization Act; Discussion Draft, To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to modernize the electronic health record system of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Discussion Draft, To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the collection of a health care copayment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from a veteran after a two-year period if the delay in collection is attributable to a failure of an employee, official, or information system of the Department of Veterans Affairs to process certain information within applicable timeliness standards established by the Secretary; 2:15 p.m.; June 11

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing including H.R. 785, The Representing Our Seniors at VA Act; H.R. 2068, The Veterans Patient Advocacy Act; H.R. 2605, The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act; H.R. 3400, The Territorial Response and Access to Veterans’ Essential Lifecare (TRAVEL) Act; Discussion Draft: To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit smoking on the premises of any facility of the Veterans Health Administration; H.R. 3643, The VA Data Transparency and Trust Act; Discussion Draft: To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study to determine whether RNA sequencing can be used to effectively diagnose PTSD in veterans; Discussion Draft: The Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act; H.R. 3726, The Fisher House Availability Act; H.R. 1404, The CHAMPVA Children’s Care Protection Act; H.R. 2148, The Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act; Discussion Draft: The VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act; 2:15 p.m.; June 12

 

House Appropriations subcommittee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill; 5:00 pm.; July 21

 

House Appropriations full committee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill; 10:00 a.m.; July 24

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.Res.260 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of June 6, 2025, as “National Gun Violence Awareness Day” and June 2025 as “National Gun Violence Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1924 — A bill to add suicide prevention resources to school identification cards; Sponsor: Kennedy, John [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1925 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to diabetes outpatient self-management training services, to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test the provision of virtual diabetes outpatient self-management training services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Shaheen, Jeanne [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.457 — Expressing support for the designation of June 6, 2025, as “National Gun Violence Awareness Day” and June 2025 as “National Gun Violence Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Kelly, Robin L. [Rep.-D-IL-2]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3670 — To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to establish within the Indian Health Service an Office of Graduate Medical Education Programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Stansbury, Melanie A. [Rep.-D-NM-1]; Committees: House – Natural Resources; Energy and Commerce

 

S.1928 — A bill to require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress a report on esophageal cancer with respect to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Warner, Mark R. [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

 

S.1929 — A bill to establish programs to reduce rates of sepsis; Sponsor: Schumer, Charles E. [Sen.-D-NY]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1930 — A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to establish a research and development-intensive small biotech manufacturer exemption the Medicare drug price negotiation program; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1935 —A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to provide for the testing of a community-based palliative care model; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1936 — A bill to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test allowing blood transfusions to be paid separately from the Medicare hospice all-inclusive per diem payment; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.465 — Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Congress should enact the Older Americans Bill of Rights to establish that older Americans should have the right to live with dignity and with independence; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.Res.466 — Expressing support for the designation of the first Tuesday in June as “National Cancer Survivor Beauty and Support Day”; Sponsor: Schneider, Bradley Scott [Rep.-D-IL-10]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.3674 — To authorize United States participation in the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative; Sponsor: Bera, Ami [Rep.-D-CA-6]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs

 

H.R.3676 — To codify Executive Order 14293, relating to regulatory relief to promote domestic production of critical medicines; Sponsor: Burchett, Tim [Rep.-R-TN-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Transportation and Infrastructure

 

H.R.3677 — To codify Executive Order 14292 relating to Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research; Sponsor: Burchett, Tim [Rep.-R-TN-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.3684 —To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for enhanced payments to rural health care providers under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Graves, Sam [Rep.-R-MO-6]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; Budget

 

H.R.3686 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve the regulatory review process to determine the safety and effectiveness of nonprescription sunscreen active ingredients, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, John [Rep.-R-PA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3688 — To amend chapter 110 of title 18, United States Code, to prohibit gender transition procedures on minors, and for other purposes; Sponsor: LaMalfa, Doug [Rep.-R-CA-1]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3689 — To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to reauthorize a youth prevention and recovery initiative; Sponsor: Lee, Susie [Rep.-D-NV-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3698 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a refundable credit to individuals who donate certain life-saving organs; Sponsor: Wilson, Joe [Rep.-R-SC-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

S.1941 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out activities to eliminate hepatitis C virus in the United States; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1944 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify that individuals who have access to certain healthcare services through a worksite health clinic are eligible to make pre-tax contributions to a health savings account; Sponsor: Scott, Tim [Sen.-R-SC]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1951 — A bill to ensure the preservation and operational integrity of the aeromedical evacuation capabilities of the Department of the Army within the Medical Service Corps and to maintain the role of the Medical Service Corps as the primary joint service provider for intra-theater aeromedical evacuation, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cruz, Ted [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Armed Services

 

S.1954 —A bill to improve the requirements for making a determination of interchangeability of a biological product and its reference product; Sponsor: Lee, Mike [Sen.-R-UT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.3701 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to codify the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pallone, Frank [Rep.-D-NJ-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3704 —To reduce the health risks of heat by establishing the National Integrated Heat Health Information System within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System Interagency Committee to improve extreme heat preparedness, planning, and response, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ansari, Yassamin [Rep.-D-AZ-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.3731 —To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to establish a research and development-intensive small biotech manufacturer exception from the Medicare drug price negotiation program; Sponsor: Pfluger, August [Rep.-R-TX-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3743 —To amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to support women, infants, and children impacted by substance use disorder, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Vindman, Eugene Simon [Rep.-D-VA-7]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

S.Res.266 — A resolution designating May 2025 as “ALS Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Murkowski, Lisa [Sen.-R-AK]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.1960 —A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the continued designation of hospitals that met mountainous terrain or secondary roads distance requirement as critical access hospitals and to modify distance requirements for ambulance services furnished by critical access hospitals; Sponsor: Capito, Shelley Moore [Sen.-R-WV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1971 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of medical nutrition therapy services for individuals with eating disorders under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1973 —A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the coordination of programs to prevent and treat obesity, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1974 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to allow certain public health data modernization grants to be used to track hospital bed capacity, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Coons, Christopher A. [Sen.-D-DE]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1983 — A bill to require any convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response reached by the World Health Assembly to be subject to Senate ratification; Sponsor: Johnson, Ron [Sen.-R-WI]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations

 

S.1984 — A bill to prohibit an employer from terminating the coverage of an employee under a group health plan while the employer is engaged in a lock-out or while the employee is engaged in a lawful strike, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.3747 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Project ECHO Grant Program, to establish grants under such program to disseminate knowledge and build capacity to address Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Balderson, Troy [Rep.-R-OH-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3749 —To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for research, investigation, and awareness of the effect of personal care products containing endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the female reproductive system, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Brown, Shontel M. [Rep.-D-OH-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3750 — To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to provide certain members of the Armed Forces with continuous glucose monitoring technology; Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.-R-FL-16]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.3752 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a presumption of service connection for glioblastoma multiforme for veterans who served in certain locations during the Vietnam era; Sponsor: Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [Rep.-D-FL-20]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3757 — To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to ensure protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their families; Sponsor: Davids, Sharice [Rep.-D-KS-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3758 — To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to establish parity in the treatment of behavioral health and physical health conditions under disability benefit plans; Sponsor: DeSaulnier, Mark [Rep.-D-CA-10]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3762 —To prevent cost-sharing requirements for prenatal, childbirth, neonatal, perinatal, or postpartum health care; Sponsor: Golden, Jared F. [Rep.-D-ME-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3767 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for a time frame for the employment in the Department of Veterans Affairs of participants in the Health Professionals Scholarship Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hamadeh, Abraham J. [Rep.-R-AZ-8]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3778 —To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to update the fee schedule for ambulance services provided by critical access hospitals; Sponsor: Miller, Carol D. [Rep.-R-WV-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3789 —To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require that direct-to-consumer advertisements for prescription drugs and biological products include an appropriate disclosure of pricing information; Sponsor: Taylor, David J. [Rep.-R-OH-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3791 — To require the Secretary of Labor to revise the Standard Occupational Classification System to accurately count the number of emergency medical services practitioners in the United States; Sponsor: Thompson, Glenn [Rep.-R-PA-15]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3792 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to prohibit providers participating in the Medicare program and State health care programs from requesting on intake forms information regarding the gender identity or sexual preference of minors; Sponsor: Van Drew, Jefferson [Rep.-R-NJ-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

New HHS Budget Details – Executive agencies began sending their “budget in brief” documents to Congress on Friday, expanding on the skinny budget released by the Trump administration last month. The White House is seeking non-defense budget cuts of more than 22%, along with a flat military budget, in the coming fiscal year. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would receive $94.7 billion in discretionary funding under the President’s proposal. The budget would consolidate the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from 27 to 8 institutes, while reducing NIH funding by nearly 40% – from $48.5 billion to $27.5 billion. Funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be reduced from more than $9 billion to just over $4 billion. Funding for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be reduced from $7 billion to approximately $6.5 billion. The newly established Administration for Healthy America, under which several existing agencies would be consolidated – including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration – would receive $14 billion in funding. Further details on the HHS FY 2026 budget in brief can be found here. Appropriators in the House of Representatives will begin marking up their own fiscal year 2026 funding bills this week, starting with the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Agriculture-FDA bills. The panel aims to consider all 12 annual appropriations measures by the end of July.

 

Senate Begins Work on House-Passed Reconciliation Bill – Congress returns to session this week with the Senate preparing to take up the GOP’s budget reconciliation package. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has urged the chamber to not make significant changes to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), citing the narrow margin by which the bill was passed by the House of Representatives on May 22. Several Republican senators, however, have expressed concerns with the Medicaid-related provisions of the House package, making it likely that the health portions of the bill will be revised before final passage. The legislation must also still undergo the “Byrd Bath” to ensure compliance with the rules of reconciliation in the Senate. Republicans are aiming to send the reconciliation package to President Donald Trump for his signature before the July 4 recess.

 

Ways and Means Republicans Write Administration on Pharmaceutical Tariffs – Twenty Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee have written to the Department of Commerce on the issue of pharmaceutical tariffs. The lawmakers warn that instituting broad tariffs could lead to drug shortages and price increases that create a barrier to access for American patients. The letter, which was led by Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) and Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-N.C.), urges the administration to “concentrate on the most significant threat to America’s health and national security — namely, the People’s Republic of China and its efforts to dominate the supply chain for critical drugs.” The only GOP members of the committee who did not sign the letter were Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Reps. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), Greg Steube (R-Fla.), and Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas). While the administration has not indicated what specific size or target of pharmaceutical tariffs it is considering, the President has stated that duties could be anywhere from 25% to 200%.

 

GAO Recommends Increased Oversight of NIH External Research – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report recommending that the NIH strengthen its oversight of ongoing research grants awarded to outside entities. The GAO found that NIH staff responsible for reviewing grantees’ financial and progress reports did not consistently take action when such reports were late, nor are unused funds consistently tracked by the agency. Recipients are required to file final reports within a year of a project’s end. As of August 2024, nearly 1,000 final reports – 0.2% of awards made from fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2024 – were missing. GAO recommends that the agency identify the cause of the missing reports, analyze how to manage unused balances for projects at the end of the funding period, and require tracking of unused balances across NIH  institutes, centers, and offices.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Rules Committee markup of H.R. 2483 – SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025; 4:00 p.m.; June 3

 

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing “Reauthorization of the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program;” 10:00 a.m.; June 4

 

House Appropriations subcommittee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill; 10:00 a.m.; June 5

 

House Appropriations subcommittee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill; 10:30 a.m.; June 5

 

House Appropriations full committee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill, Subcommittee Allocations; 2:00 p.m.; June 10

 

House Appropriations full committee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill; 10:00 a.m.; June 11

 

House Appropriations subcommittee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill; 5:00 pm.; July 21

 

House Appropriations full committee markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill; 10:00 am.; July 24

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.3580 — Oversight of Medicare Billing Code Cost Act – To increase oversight and transparency with respect to Medicare billing codes; Sponsor: Ciscomani, Juan [Rep.-R-AZ-6]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3581 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to delay certain disproportionate share hospital payment reductions under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Crenshaw, Dan [Rep.-R-TX-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3589 — To expand and promote research and data collection on reproductive health conditions, to provide training opportunities for medical professionals to learn how to diagnose and treat reproductive health conditions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3593 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain nursing workforce development programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3594 — To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the health care benefits available for Gold Star surviving spouses; Sponsor: Kaptur, Marcy [Rep.-D-OH-9]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.3595 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the disclosure of certain records relating to substance use disorder medications to State prescription drug monitoring programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kennedy, Mike [Rep.-R-UT-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.449 — Supports the designation of “ALS Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Crow, Jason [Rep.-D-CO-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.456 — Expressing support for the designation of the month of May 2025 as “Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Subramanyam, Suhas [Rep.-D-VA-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3627 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report that contains data and information on the causes of deaths among veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Edwards, Chuck [Rep.-R-NC-11]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3631 — To criminalize fraudulent statements made with respect to clinical vaccine trials; Sponsor: Green, Mark E. [Rep.-R-TN-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.R.3636 — To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve the process by which the Secretary of Defense verifies that health care professionals of the military departments are appropriately licensed; Sponsor: Kiggans, Jennifer A. [Rep.-R-VA-2]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.3639 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care and medical services to veterans and dependents who were stationed at military installations at which the veterans and dependents were exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid or other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, to provide for a presumption of service connection for certain veterans who were stationed at military installations at which the veterans were exposed to such substances, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lawler, Michael [Rep.-R-NY-17]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3643 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the annual reports submitted to Congress with respect to the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McGuire, John J. [Rep.-R-VA-5]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3655 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Behavioral and Mental Health Workforce Scholarship Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3658 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants to States, territories, political subdivisions of States and territories, Tribal Governments, and consortia of Tribal Governments to establish an unarmed mobile crisis response program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smith, Adam [Rep.-D-WA-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3665 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit the penalty for late enrollment under part B of the Medicare Program to 15 percent and twice the period of no enrollment, and to exclude periods of COBRA, retiree, and VA coverage from such late enrollment penalty; Sponsor: Williams, Nikema [Rep.-D-GA-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

House Passes Reconciliation Package – The House of Representatives passed the GOP’s budget reconciliation package last week, achieving Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) goal of completing work on the bill before the chamber’s Memorial Day recess. The legislation narrowly passed the House in a 215-214 vote early Thursday morning after an all-night debate. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) joined Democrats in voting against the package; Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) voted present; Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) did not vote. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) stems from the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution approved by Congress in early April and is central to Republican’s broader effort to implement key parts of President Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda – including tax reform, energy development, and stronger border enforcement.

 

Prior to passage of the more than 1,000-page bill, several fiscal hardliners secured an agreement with GOP leadership to make a number of modifications to the legislation. The bill was revised to speed up the start date of work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries from January 1, 2029, to no later than December 31, 2026. The revised bill also broadens the ban on Medicaid funding for gender affirming care from minors to all individuals. The package includes a series of changes to the Medicaid program beyond these provisions, including new limits on provider taxes, penalties for states who allow Medicaid coverage of undocumented immigrants, cost-sharing requirements for Medicaid enrollees, and more frequent enrollee eligibility checks. The legislation does not address the 2.83% Medicare physician cut that went into effect on January 1, but it does include a mechanism to link the Medicare physician fee schedule conversion factor to an annual inflationary update: in 2026, physicians would receive an update of 75% of the Medicare Economic Index (MEI); in 2027 and each subsequent year, physicians would receive 10% of MEI. It would also eliminate the current Merit-based Incentive Payment System and alternative payment model differential payment updates.

 

According to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate of an earlier iteration of the bill released on Tuesday, prior to House passage of the bill, H.R. 1 would lead to 8.6 million people losing their health insurance. Approximately 7.6 million people would lose their Medicaid benefits, while 1 million would lose access to plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. CBO’s estimates of coverage losses are expected to be higher under the version of the bill passed by the House last week.

 

The package remains subject to consideration by the Senate, where it is expected to undergo significant changes. Several Republican senators have already expressed concerns with the Medicaid-related provisions of the House package, making it likely that the health portions of the bill will be revised before final passage. Republicans aim to have the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by July 4. This goal is informed by debt ceiling considerations. The reconciliation package includes an increase to the statutory debt limit, with the nation projected to reach its borrowing limit as early as August. If the Senate amends the reconciliation legislation, the House will need to vote on the amended legislation, or the package would need to be reconciled via the conference committee process.

 

Bipartisan, Bicameral Prior Authorization Legislation Reintroduced – The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (S. 1816/H.R. 3514) was reintroduced in Congress last week. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation aims to simplify the prior authorization (PA) process within the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. It would establish an electronic PA process for MA plans, increase transparency around MA prior authorization requirements, provide a pathway for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to institute real-time decisions for routinely approved items and services and clarify CMS’ authority to establish timeframes for e-PA requests, expand beneficiary protections to improve enrollee experiences and outcomes, and require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on program integrity efforts and ways to further improve the e-PA process. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) and by Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Ami Bera, M.D. (D-Calif.), and John Joyce, M.D. (R-Pa.). It currently has 47 cosponsors in the Senate, 77 cosponsors in the House of Representatives, and is supported by more than 150 stakeholder organizations.

 

FY 2026 House Appropriations Committee Markup Schedule – House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) released his panel’s markup schedule for fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills. The committee currently plans to mark up all 12 FY 2026 government-funding bills over the next 10 weeks. Chairman Cole told appropriators that they should expect to see bill-by-bill funding allocations shortly after coming back from this week’s Memorial Day recess. While the schedule is subject to change, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill is scheduled for subcommittee markup on June 5 and consideration by the full committee on June 11.The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill is currently slated to be marked up in subcommittee on July 21, and considered by the full committee on July 24. The full schedule can be found here.

 

MAHA Commission Releases Assessment of Childhood Chronic Disease – The Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) released an assessment last week of the drivers behind the rise in childhood chronic disease. The Commission was established by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February and is led by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The 69-page report identifies four potential causes of childhood chronic disease that the Commission believes present the clearest opportunities for progress: poor diet, aggregation of environmental chemicals, lack of physical activity and chronic stress, and overmedicalization. The report also recommends 10 research initiatives to close current knowledge gaps and guide future work on childhood chronic disease. Secretary Kennedy has stated that the report will serve as a blueprint for the administration’s health efforts. The MAHA Commission’s strategy report containing policy recommendations is due in August 2025.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing “Reauthorization of the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program;” 10:00 a.m.; June 4

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.1799 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for certain cognitive impairment detection in the Medicare annual wellness visit and initial preventative physical examination; Sponsor: Capito, Shelley Moore [Sen.-R-WV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1800 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify the criteria for designation of rural emergency hospitals; Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1802 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the National Institutes of Health from awarding any support for an activity or program that uses live animals in research unless the research occurs in the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1805 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit nurse practitioners and physician assistants to satisfy the documentation requirement under the Medicare program for coverage of certain shoes for individuals with diabetes; Sponsor: Collins, Susan M. [Sen.-R-ME]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.429 — Expressing support for the designation of May 17, 2025, as “Necrotizing Enterocolitis Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Thompson, Mike [Rep.-D-CA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3480 — To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to include fertility treatment and care as an essential health benefit; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3482 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an online program through which an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs may schedule an appointment for a covered veteran with a non-Department health care provider under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barrett, Tom [Rep.-R-MI-7]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3483 — To amend title 38, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use an information technology system to detect fraud, waste, and abuse regarding claims for payment submitted to the Secretary under the Veterans Community Care Program; Sponsor: Barrett, Tom [Rep.-R-MI-7]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3489 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to codify the requirements for appointment, qualifications, and pay for therapeutic and diagnostic medical physicists of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [Rep.-D-FL-20]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3490 — To require the Government Accountability Office to produce a report on esophageal cancer, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Connolly, Gerald E. [Rep.-D-VA-11]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.3491 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a program of research, training, and investigation related to Down syndrome, and for other purposes; Sponsor: DeGette, Diana [Rep.-D-CO-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3493 — To reduce prescription drug prices by aligning U.S. prices with international benchmarks; Sponsor: Khanna, Ro [Rep.-D-CA-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Judiciary

 

H.R.3494 — To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out an information technology system and prioritize certain requirements to manage supply chains for medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Kiggans, Jennifer A. [Rep.-R-VA-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3501 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for certain cognitive impairment detection in the Medicare annual wellness visit and initial preventive physical examination; Sponsor: Sánchez, Linda T. [Rep.-D-CA-38]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3503 — To prohibit life insurance providers from discriminating based on a person’s status as a living kidney donor, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Van Drew, Jefferson [Rep.-R-NJ-2]; Committees: House – Financial Services

 

S.1811 — A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit graduate medical schools from receiving Federal financial assistance if such schools adopt certain policies and requirements relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion; Sponsor: Kennedy, John [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1815 — A bill to provide targeted funding for States and other eligible entities through the Social Services Block Grant program to address the increased burden that maintaining the health and hygiene of infants and toddlers, medically complex children, and low-income adults or adults with disabilities who rely on adult incontinence materials and supplies place on families in need, the resultant adverse health effects on children and families, and the limited child care options available for infants and toddlers who lack sufficient diapers and diapering supplies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1816 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish requirements with respect to the use of prior authorization under Medicare Advantage plans; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1818 — A bill to significantly lower prescription drug prices for patients in the United States by ending government-granted monopolies for manufacturers who charge drug prices that are higher than the median prices at which the drugs are available in other countries; Sponsor: Sanders, Bernard [Sen.-I-VT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.3508 — To provide targeted funding for States and other eligible entities through the Social Services Block Grant program to address the increased burden that maintaining the health and hygiene of infants and toddlers, medically complex children, and low-income adults or adults with disabilities who rely on adult incontinence materials and supplies place on families in need, the resultant adverse health effects on children and families, and the limited child care options available for infants and toddlers who lack sufficient diapers and diapering supplies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: DeLauro, Rosa L. [Rep.-D-CT-3]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Budget

 

H.R.3511 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use to establish a grant program for certain undergraduate or graduate students who agree to work as school psychologists, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gottheimer, Josh [Rep.-D-NJ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3514 —To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish requirements with respect to the use of prior authorization under Medicare Advantage plans; Sponsor: Kelly, Mike [Rep.-R-PA-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3518 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit graduate medical schools from receiving Federal financial assistance if such schools adopt certain policies and requirements relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3520 — To amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for the scheduling of tianeptine as a schedule III substance, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Panetta, Jimmy [Rep.-D-CA-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.R.3521 — To modernize clinical trials and remove barriers for participation in clinical trials, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.Res.249 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 2025 as “Mental Health Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.Res.251 — A resolution supporting the designation of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Husted, Jon [Sen.-R-OH]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.Res.252 — A resolution designating May 2025 as “Older Americans Month”; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.Res.256 — A resolution designating May 2025 as “American Stroke Month”; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1862 — A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to expand and clarify the exclusion for orphan drugs under the Drug Price Negotiation Program; Sponsor: Barrasso, John [Sen.-R-WY]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1865 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on indoor tanning services; Sponsor: Paul, Rand [Sen.-R-KY]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1866 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and improve the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1868 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access by veterans to critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cramer, Kevin [Sen.-R-ND]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1874 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain nursing workforce development programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1878 — A bill to establish an interactive online dashboard to improve public access to information about grant funding related to mental health and substance use disorder programs; Sponsor: Fischer, Deb [Sen.-R-NE]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1882 — A bill to expand and promote research and data collection on reproductive health conditions, to provide training opportunities for medical professionals to learn how to diagnose and treat reproductive health conditions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1885 — A bill to require the Federal Trade Commission, with the concurrence of the Secretary of Health and Human Services acting through the Surgeon General, to implement a mental health warning label on covered platforms, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Britt, Katie Boyd [Sen.-R-AL]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation

 

S.1891 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish the generic drugs and biosimilars production credit, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1893 — A bill to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks, in recognition of her immortal cells which have made invaluable contributions to global health, scientific research, our quality of life, and patients’ rights; Sponsor: Van Hollen, Chris [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

 

S.1895 — A bill to establish the Mental Health Excellence in Schools Program to increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health service providers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Young, Todd [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1903 — A bill to prohibit changes to Medicare and Medicaid in reconciliation; Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Budget

 

S.1910 — A bill to provide for the overall health and well-being of young people, including the promotion and attainment of lifelong sexual health and healthy relationships, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1911 — A bill to amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to codify the Panel of Health Advisors within the Congressional Budget Office, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ricketts, Pete [Sen.-R-NE]; Committees: Senate – Budget

 

S.1912 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access to the Veterans Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to include certain veterans seeking mental health or substance-use services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Daines, Steve [Sen.-R-MT]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1914 — A bill to require Federal law enforcement and prison officials to obtain or provide immediate medical attention to individuals in custody who display medical distress; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1916 — A bill to amend title 11, United States Code, to account for the protection of genetic information in bankruptcy; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1918 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a refundable tax credit against income tax for the purchase of qualified access technology for the blind; Sponsor: Boozman, John [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1920 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to develop national quality standards for continuous skilled nursing services provided through Medicaid, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1830 — A bill to clarify that agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services do not have the authority to regulate the practice of medicine; Sponsor: Johnson, Ron [Sen.-R-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1834 — A bill to prevent cost-sharing requirements for prenatal, childbirth, neonatal, perinatal, or postpartum health care; Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1836 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to strengthen the drug pricing reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1838 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a program of research, training, and investigation related to Down syndrome, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hickenlooper, John W. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pension

 

S.1851 — A bill to enhance the cybersecurity of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

 

S.1853 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of direct housing loans and medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs for Native Hawaiians; Sponsor: Hirono, Mazie K. [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.Res.441 — Expressing support for the designation of May 2025 as “Mental Health Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3527 — To provide for the overall health and well-being of young people, including the promotion and attainment of lifelong sexual health and healthy relationships, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Adams, Alma S. [Rep.-D-NC-12]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3532 — To prohibit an employer from terminating the coverage of an employee under a group health plan while the employer is engaged in a lock-out or while the employee is engaged in a lawful strike, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Deluzio, Christopher R. [Rep.-D-PA-17]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3534 — To establish the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program to increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health services providers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3541 — To provide for a grant program to support access to free eye care services for students attending public elementary schools and secondary schools; Sponsor: Hayes, Jahana [Rep.-D-CT-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3546 — To significantly lower prescription drug prices for patients in the United States by ending government-granted monopolies for manufacturers who charge drug prices that are higher than the median prices at which the drugs are available in other countries; Sponsor: Khanna, Ro [Rep.-D-CA-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

Reconciliation Update – The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to advance its portion of the GOP budget reconciliation package in a 30-24 party line vote last week. During the marathon markup, which began on Tuesday and did not conclude until Wednesday afternoon, Republicans voted down dozens of amendments from Democrats to block individual provisions of the measure containing the spending and savings directives from the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution adopted by Congress in early April. Democrats warned that the legislation will result in millions of vulnerable Americans losing their health insurance coverage, citing a May 7 estimate from the Congressional Budget Office that the number of uninsured people will increase by 8.6 million if the bill becomes law. while Republicans defended the measure as a means to address Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse and support the overall solvency of the program.

 

Energy and Commerce’s legislative text proposes work requirements for certain Medicaid beneficiaries, new limits on provider taxes, penalties for states who allow Medicaid coverage of undocumented immigrants, cost-sharing requirements for Medicaid enrollees, and more frequent enrollee eligibility checks. It would also repeal regulations from the Biden administration on Medicaid enrollment and nursing home staffing. The legislation does not address the 2.83% Medicare physician cut that went into effect on January 1, but includes a mechanism to link the Medicare physician fee schedule conversion factor to an annual inflationary update: in 2026, physicians would receive an update of 75% of the Medicare Economic Index (MEI); in 2027 and each subsequent year, physicians would receive 10% of MEI. It would also eliminate the current Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and alternative payment model (APM) differential payment updates.

 

The House Ways and Means Committee also advanced its portion of the reconciliation package last week. The health provisions in the package include provisions to limit Medicare coverage to citizens and aliens meeting specific conditions, expand health savings accounts to additional individuals, as well as  repeal the excise tax on indoor tanning services. The measure was advanced in a 26-19 party line vote.

 

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) remains in negotiations with several fiscal hardliners who stalled House Budget Committee consideration of the reconciliation bill on Friday. Five conservative Republicans on the panel – Chip Roy (Texas), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Josh Brecheen (Okla.), Andrew Clyde (Ga.), and Lloyd Smucker (Pa.). – raised concerns that the package does not make deep enough cuts to government spending or significant enough reforms to how Medicaid is funded. Reports indicate that the lawmakers have specifically taken issue with the fact that proposed Medicaid work requirements would not go into effect until 2029, and that states are not required to immediately remove undocumented immigrants from accessing Medicaid. The Budget Committee must piece together the individual portions of the reconciliation bill advanced by each congressional committee before sending the full package to the House floor for consideration. The Budget Committee is currently scheduled to reconvene at 10 p.m. on Sunday.

 

The GOP aims to use the reconciliation package to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. Republican leadership had targeted this week for a vote on the full package on the House floor. The bill remains subject to consideration by the Senate, which is likely to make changes to the House bill before passing the measure. A number of GOP senators have already raised concerns about the Medicaid related aspects of the House package, with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) characterizing the proposed Medicaid cuts as “both morally wrong and politically suicidal” in an op-ed last week.

 

Senate Finance Advances HHS Nominees – The Senate Finance Committee voted to advance the nominations of James O’Neill to be Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by a vote of 14-13 and Gary Andres to be an Assistant Secretary of HHS by a vote of 19-8. Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) cited the nominees’ endorsements of the current Republican effort to overhaul the Medicaid program via the budget reconciliation process as the reason for his opposition. The nominations now await a confirmation vote on the Senate floor.

 

Democrats Warn Against Cuts to Scientific Agencies – Eleven Democrats in the House of Representatives have sent a letter to the Trump administration raising concerns about proposed funding cuts to the nation’s scientific agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The President’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes steep cuts to each of these agencies. The letter, which was led by Rep. George Whitesides (D-Calif.), highlights the importance of research for medical innovation and underscores the importance of maintaining investments in scientific research to maintain the nation’s competitiveness with China. “We urge your administration to follow the longstanding principle of bipartisan support for the scientific community and national leaders who have made science a national priority, embracing it as a driver of economic growth, public health, and environmental safety,” the letter states.

 

President Signs Most-Favored-Nation Executive Order – President Donald Trump signed an executive order (E.O.) on Monday that aims to ensure that Americans pay no more for prescription drugs than the lowest price paid by other developed nations. The ‘Most Favored Nation’ (MFN) E.O. instructs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to facilitate direct-to-consumer purchasing at these prices, and to communicate target prices to pharmaceutical manufacturers within 30 days. If manufacturers do not comply, further regulatory actions may be taken. Additionally, the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative are tasked with addressing foreign practices that contribute to higher drug costs for American patients. The President attempted to institute an MFN policy in 2020 during his first administration, but the effort was struck down by a federal judge for failing to adhere to congressionally mandated rulemaking procedures. A fact sheet on the E.O. can be found here.

 

Former President Biden Diagnosed With Aggressive Cancer – On Sunday, former President Biden’s office announced that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer which metastasized to the bone. Although he was given a Gleason score of 9 (on a scale of 1-10), demonstrating how aggressive the cancer is, his office said that “the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Health and Human Services;” 10:00 a.m.; May 20

 

House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs hearing “Mandates, Meddling, and Mismanagement: The IRA’s Threat to Energy and Medicine;” 10:00 a.m.; May 20

 

House Foreign Relations Committee review of the FY26 State Department Budget Request; 10:00 a.m.; May 20

 

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of State;” 2:00 p.m.; May 20

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade hearing “AI Regulation and the Future of US Leadership;” 10:15 a.m.; May 21

 

House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development hearing “Restoring Excellence: The Case Against DEI;” 10:15 a.m.; May 21

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Oversight hearing “Pushing VA Forward: Review of VA’s Adaptive Programs for Disabled Veterans;” 10:30 a.m.; May 21

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of States, and Related Programs Budget Hearing – Department of State and Related Programs; 2:00 p.m.; May 21

 

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing “The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies: How Health Officials Downplayed and Hid Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccines;” 2:00 p.m.; May 21

 

Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing “Securing America: Key Authorities Under the Defense Production Act;” 10:00 a.m.; May 22

 

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies hearing “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Food and Drug Administration;” 10:30 a.m.; May 22

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.3316 —To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national outreach and education strategy and research to improve behavioral health among the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population, while addressing stigma against behavioral health treatment among such population. Sponsor: Chu, Judy [Rep.-D-CA-28]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3320 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to increase Federal Medicaid funding for States that provide intensive community-based services for adults with serious mental illness, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Goldman, Daniel S. [Rep.-D-NY-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3321 —To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to phase out the enhanced Federal match applicable to medical assistance provided to low-income adults. Sponsor: Roy, Chip [Rep.-R-TX-21]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.Res.215 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of May 12, 2025, through May 16, 2025 as “Veterans Affairs Research Week” to celebrate the research, innovation, and significant contributions of the Department of Veterans Affairs to improving the lives of countless veterans, people in the United States, and individuals around the world; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.Res.217 — A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. does not have the confidence of the Senate or of the American people to faithfully carry out the duties of his office; Sponsor: Alsobrooks, Angela D. [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1709 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Padilla, Alex [Sen.-D-CA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1716 — A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to improve health care coverage under vision plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cramer, Kevin [Sen.-R-ND]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1717 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure prompt coverage of breakthrough devices under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Young, Todd [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1719 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the treatment of direct primary care service arrangements as medical care, to provide that such arrangements do not disqualify deductible health savings account contributions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1720 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1726 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify that the Department of Veterans Affairs definition of “medical services” includes medically necessary automobile adaptations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tuberville, Tommy [Sen.-R-AL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.Res.407 — Supporting the designation of May 10, 2025, as “National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day”; Sponsor: Chu, Judy [Rep.-D-CA-28]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3327 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the amount excluded from gross income by reason of distributions from governmental retirement plans for health and long-term care insurance for public safety officers; Sponsor: Bacon, Don [Rep.-R-NE-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3333 — To require the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice to examine and report on the growing nursing shortage across the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Costa, Jim [Rep.-D-CA-21]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3365 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide coordinated care through a pregnancy medical home for high-risk pregnant women, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Nunn, Zachary [Rep.-R-IA-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3375 — To require that the retail list price for certain prescription drugs and biological products may not exceed the average retail list price for the drug or biological product among certain nations; Sponsor: Van Drew, Jefferson [Rep.-R-NJ-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.Res.230 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Hospital Week, to be observed from May 11 through May 17, 2025; Sponsor: Barrasso, John [Sen.-R-WY]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.1753 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish reference prices for prescription drugs for purposes of Federal health programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1756 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimination against health care entities that do not participate in abortion, and to strengthen implementation and enforcement of Federal conscience laws; Sponsor: Lankford, James [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1767 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue regulations to ensure due process rights for physicians before any termination, restriction, or reduction of the professional activity of such physicians or staff privileges of such physicians; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.3389 — To direct the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice to establish a training course relating to Alzheimer’s disease and similar forms of dementia; Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.-R-FL-16]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3391 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish reference prices for prescription drugs for purposes of Federal health programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Armed Services; Veterans’ Affairs; Oversight and Government Reform; Natural Resources

 

H.R.3400 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assign physicians of the Department of Veterans Affairs to temporarily serve as traveling physicians in the territories and possessions of the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [Del.-R-MP-At Large]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3409 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand and improve health care services by health centers and the National Health Service Corps for individuals with a developmental disability, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moulton, Seth [Rep.-D-MA-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3411 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimination against health care entities that do not participate in abortion, and to strengthen implementation and enforcement of Federal conscience laws; Sponsor: Pfluger, August [Rep.-R-TX-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3413 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue regulations to ensure due process rights for physicians before any termination, restriction, or reduction of the professional activity of such physicians or staff privileges of such physicians; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3415 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3419 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs; Sponsor: Valadao, David G. [Rep.-R-CA-22]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.Res.232 — A resolution designating May 2025 as “National Brain Tumor Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Daines, Steve [Sen.-R-MT]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.1774 — A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide that certain treatments may not be covered under the health insurance program carried out under chapter 89 of that title, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Risch, James E. [Sen.-R-ID]; Committees: Senate – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

 

S.1776 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit the coinsurance amount for certain services furnished in an ambulatory surgical center; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1782 — A bill to prohibit discrimination on the basis of mental or physical disability in cases of organ transplants; Sponsor: Moody, Ashley [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1784 — A bill to improve coordination of Federal efforts to identify and mitigate health and national security risks through maintaining a list of essential medicines, conducting a risk assessment of essential medicine supply chains, and creating a monitoring system to map essential medicine supply chains using data analytics; Sponsor: Peters, Gary C. [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1785 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to deny the deduction for advertising and promotional expenses for certain drugs; Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1797 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to mental health services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Barrasso, John [Sen.-R-WY]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.416 — Expressing support for the goals and ideals of “National Hypertension Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Beatty, Joyce [Rep.-D-OH-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.419 — Expressing support for the designation of May 17, 2025, as “DIPG Awareness Day” to raise awareness and encourage research into cures for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and pediatric cancers in general; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3441 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish additional presumptions of service connection for certain diseases that occur in veterans who suffered toxic exposure while serving at Karshi Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan; Sponsor: Green, Mark E. [Rep.-R-TN-7]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3443 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to create a model, and to direct the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission to carry out a study and report with respect to Medicare payment for emergency medical services; Sponsor: Hudson, Richard [Rep.-R-NC-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3467 — To amend title XVIII to reform the Medicare Advantage program; Sponsor: Schweikert, David [Rep.-R-AZ-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3468 — To require the Commissioner of Social Security, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to certify to Congress that any planned staffing cuts or regional field office closures will not impact the provision of Congressionally-authorized services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sherrill, Mikie [Rep.-D-NJ-11]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; Veterans’ Affairs; Financial Services

 

H.R.3471 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adjust certain training requirements for certified nursing assistants in nursing facilities and skilled nursing facilities; Sponsor: Van Orden, Derrick [Rep.-R-WI-3]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

Reconciliation Update – Republicans on Capitol Hill continue to work to advance a budget reconciliation package containing the spending and savings directives from the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution adopted in early April. The House Ways and Means Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee are scheduled to mark up their portions of the bill beginning on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. The Ways and Means legislative proposal released in advance of the markup includes a provision to limit Medicare coverage to citizens and aliens meeting specific conditions.  Additional changes may be made to the text through the markup process. The Energy and Commerce Committee markup is expected to run continuously through the night and into Wednesday with no breaks. The panel has been instructed to produce approximately $880 billion in savings over the next decade, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. In an op-ed published on Sunday, Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) noted that the package will include a reduction in federal aid to states that allow illegal immigrants to enroll in Medicaid, Medicaid work requirements for capable adults, and a prohibition on Medicaid funding for ‘gender reassignment’ surgery for children.

 

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released new estimates last week related to the impact of several policies under consideration by the GOP. The projections, which were requested by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), indicate that reducing Medicaid expansion states’ enhanced federal match rate could lead to 5.5 million people losing health care coverage. Capping federal spending in expansion states could lead to 3.3 million people losing coverage, according to CBO’s estimates. The agency’s letter also considers the potential impact of limiting state taxes on health care providers, establishing caps on federal spending for the entire Medicaid population, and repealing Medicaid’s eligibility and enrollment rule.

 

President Signs Biological Research, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Orders – President Donald Trump signed an executive order (E.O.) last week to limit federal funding for gain of function research. The order halts U.S. funding of such research in countries deemed to have “insufficient research oversight” and empowers federal research entities to end funding of “other biological research that could pose a threat to American public health, public safety, or national security.”

 

The second E.O. issued by the White House last week aims to restore a domestic manufacturing base for prescription drugs, in part by reducing the regulatory barriers to construction. The order directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the amount of time it takes to approve domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, and directs the Environmental Protection Agency to accelerate the construction of facilities designed to manufacture prescription drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and other necessary raw materials. Federal agencies issuing permits for a domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing facility are instructed to designate a single point-of-contact to coordinate permit applications. The FDA is further charged with increasing the frequency of inspections on overseas manufacturers.

 

The President has indicated that further executive actions related to drug pricing and the pharmaceutical industry should be anticipated in the coming days. These are expected to include a decision on tariffs for pharmaceuticals made overseas, as well as an E.O. to be signed Monday morning directing agencies to pursue a most-favored-nation initiative linking the price paid by the U.S. government for certain pharmaceuticals to the lower prices paid abroad. The White House had recently been in talks with lawmakers to include such a policy in the reconciliation package, but the provision drew opposition from congressional Republicans.

 

Casey Means Tapped as New Nominee for Surgeon General – The Trump administration announced its decision last week to withdraw the nomination of Janette Nesheiwat to serve as U.S. Surgeon General last week, tapping Dr. Casey Means as the new nominee. Nesheiwat, a Fox News contributor, had faced scrutiny about both her medical education credentials and her support of the COVID-19 vaccine. President Trump stated that Nesheiwat will instead serve in another capacity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Casey Means is a medical doctor, wellness influencer, and co-founder of the bio wearables and health-tracking company Levels. Means graduated medical school but dropped out of her surgical residency in her fifth year, opting to open a functional medicine practice. She has written in support of reforms to allow lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers for vaccine related injuries, and has called for investigating the current vaccine schedule. She is also a vocal critic of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. She is the sister to Calley Means, who currently serves as a White House adviser.

 

Carter, Auchincloss Lead Bipartisan Letter on Impact of IRA on Pharmacies – Reps. Buddy Carter, BSPharm (R-Ga.) and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) have sent a letter to HHS requesting that the administration examine the implementation of the Medicare drug price negotiation program and its impact on pharmacies. The lawmakers detail how the requirement that Part D plans pay pharmacies at no more than the Inflation Reduction Act’s maximum fair price is unsustainable for pharmacies, as it requires the pharmacies to purchase medications subject to price negotiations at a high price and wait for reimbursement. “We have an opportunity to reduce Americans’ out-of-pocket costs, and preserve health care access in rural America by preventing the pharmacy benefit managers’ (PBM) current unfair treatment of pharmacies,” the letter states. “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services can help the PBM reform effort by using its existing statutory authority to ensure that reimbursement rates and other Part D contractual terms offered to all pharmacies are adequate to allow reasonable patient access to prescription drugs and pharmacy services.” The letter was signed by a bipartisan group of 24 other lawmakers.

 

Carter, Kelly Launch Campaigns for Senate – Rep. Buddy Carter, BSPharm (R-Ga.) has launched a campaign for the GOP primary to challenge Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) for his seat in the Senate.  Rep. Carter is a licensed pharmacist who has served in the House since 2015. He currently chairs the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

 

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) announced her campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Rep. Kelly stated that she is running for the Senate to “fight for health care that doesn’t bankrupt families, for wages that lift people up, for housing that’s affordable, for neighborhoods safe from gun violence.” Kelly has served in the House since 2013 and is currently a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She joins a growing Democratic primary that also includes Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.

 

GAO Report on VA Oversight of Behavioral Health Medical Records – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report recommending that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) increase its oversight related to behavioral health medical records and provider training. When patients are referred to providers outside the VA for mental health care, those providers are supposed to send medical records back to the VA. GAO found that a significant portion of medical records were missing for the referrals reviewed, and that the VA does not monitor whether records are ever sent back to the department. Veterans received more than 350,000 referrals to receive behavioral health services from community providers in fiscal years 2021 through 2023.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “PBM Power Play: Examining Competition Issues in the Prescription Drug Supply Chain;” 10:15 a.m.; May 13

 

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of legislative proposals to comply with the reconciliation directive of H.Con.Res. 14; 2:00 p.m.; May 13

 

House Ways and Means Committee markup of legislative proposals to comply with the reconciliation directive  of H.Con.Res 14; 2:00 p.m.; May13

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 9:30 a.m.; May 14

 

House Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust hearing “The MATCH Monopoly: Evaluating the Medical Residency Antitrust Exemption;” 10:00 a.m.; May 14

 

Senate Finance Committee hearing “Trade in Critical Supply Chains;” 10:00 a.m.; May 14

 

Senate HELP Committee hearing on Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget (witness: The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.); 1:30 p.m.; May 14

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; 10:00 a.m.; May 15

 

House Homeland Security Committee hearing “In Defense of Defensive Measures: Reauthorizing Cybersecurity Information Sharing Activities that Underpin U.S. National Cyber Defense;” 2:00 p.m.; May 15

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.1587 — A bill to require that the retail list price for certain prescription drugs and biological products may not exceed the average retail list price for the drug or biological product among certain nations; Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1595 — A bill to establish standards for trauma kits purchased using funds provided under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1598 — A bill to address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity outcomes by expanding access to birth centers and exploring more effective payment models for birth center care, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1599 —A bill to address maternity care shortages and promote optimal maternity outcomes by expanding educational opportunities for midwives, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1600 — A bill to protect hospital personnel from violence, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hyde-Smith, Cindy [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

H.Res.382 — Providing a point of order in the House of Representatives during the 119th Congress against reconciliation measures that reduce benefits under the Medicaid program or the supplemental nutrition assistance program; Sponsor: Nunn, Zachary [Rep.-R-IA-3]; Committees: House – Rules

 

H.Res.385 — Expressing support for the designation of May 2, 2025, as “NKH Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Vindman, Eugene Simon [Rep.-D-VA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3178 —To protect hospital personnel from violence, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Dean, Madeleine [Rep.-D-PA-4]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3183 —To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Budzinski, Nikki [Rep.-D-IL-13]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3205 — To deny tax deductions and other Federal funding for the costs of gender transition procedures; Sponsor: Tenney, Claudia [Rep.-R-NY-24]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.Res.206 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, to be observed from May 6 through May 12, 2025; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1607 — A bill to establish an Inspector General of the National Institutes of Health, an Inspector General of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an Inspector General for the Food and Drug Administration; Sponsor: Schmitt, Eric [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1609 — A bill to provide for further comprehensive research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke on unruptured intracranial aneurysms; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1611 — A bill to promote public service announcement campaigns targeted at youth substance use prevention, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kelly, Mark [Sen.-D-AZ]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1624 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a floor on the work geographic index for physicians’ services furnished in Hawaii; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1629 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to align Medicare fee-for-service payment rates across ambulatory settings; Sponsor: Kennedy, John [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1630 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide more opportunities for mothers to succeed, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Britt, Katie Boyd [Sen.-R-AL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1631 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to approve a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for mifepristone that is identical to the strategy previously approved, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.387 — Expressing support for the designation of May 2025 as “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.Res.388 — Supporting the designation of the first week of April as “Adolescent Immunization Action Week” and recognizing the importance of encouraging vaccination for adolescents and young adults to protect against serious illness; Sponsor: Espaillat, Adriano [Rep.-D-NY-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.389 — Supporting the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week, to be observed from May 6 through May 12, 2025; Sponsor: Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.392 — Expressing support for the designation of May as “National Bladder Cancer Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.394 — Expressing support for the designation of July 16, 2025, as “Glioblastoma Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Williams, Roger [Rep.-R-TX-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3218 – To amend title 18, United States Code, to ensure requests for data on individuals do not pertain to reproductive services; Sponsor: Lieu, Ted [Rep.-D-CA-36]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3222 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve risk adjustment under Medicare Advantage, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.1637 —A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to codify value-based purchasing arrangements under the Medicaid program and reforms related to price reporting under such arrangements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mullin, Markwayne [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1640 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase support for physicians and other practitioners in adjusting to Medicare payment changes; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1643 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to protect patient access to ground ambulance services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1644 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish improvements and structural alterations as part of home health services for disabled veterans; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1650 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health Administration; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1655 — A bill to expand congressional oversight of the operation of the Veterans Crisis Line of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to improve workforce protections for all Veterans Crisis Line personnel, and to ensure robust performance standards that fulfill the Veterans Crisis Line mission and meet caller demand, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1657 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny the claim of a veteran for benefits under the laws administered by such Secretary on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for a medical examination associated with such claim, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.Res.396 — Expressing support for the designation of the week of May 4, 2025, through May 10, 2025, as “Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Peters, Scott H. [Rep.-D-CA-50]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3235 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide more opportunities for mothers to succeed, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fischbach, Michelle [Rep.-R-MN-7]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3257 — To ensure affordable health insurance coverage for low-income individuals in States that have not expanded Medicaid; Sponsor: Sewell, Terri A. [Rep.-D-AL-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3260 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize mental and behavioral health education and training grants; Sponsor: Sykes, Emilia Strong [Rep.-D-OH-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3261 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health Administration; Sponsor: Takano, Mark [Rep.-D-CA-39]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3262 — To make demonstration grants to eligible local educational agencies or consortia of eligible local educational agencies for the purpose of increasing the numbers of school nurses in public elementary schools and secondary schools; Sponsor: Titus, Dina [Rep.-D-NV-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3263 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a floor on the work geographic index for physicians’ services furnished in Hawaii; Sponsor: Tokuda, Jill N. [Rep.-D-HI-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.Res.208 — A resolution supporting the designation of May 10, 2025, as “National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day”; Sponsor: Hirono, Mazie K. [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1673 – A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make loans and loan guarantees for planning, constructing, or renovating pediatric or adult mental health treatment facilities and pediatric or adult substance use disorder treatment facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1677 — A bill to provide health insurance benefits for outpatient and inpatient items and services related to the diagnosis and treatment of a congenital anomaly or birth defect; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1689 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national outreach and education strategy and reach to improve behavioral health among the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population, while addressing stigma against behavioral health treatment amongst such population; Sponsor: Hirono, Mazie K. [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1690 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase funding for Social Security and Medicare; Sponsor: Whitehouse, Sheldon [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1701 — A bill to permit the use of health care workforce platforms during declared emergencies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Budd, Ted [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

 

S.1702 — A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of prescription digital therapeutics under such titles, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Capito, Shelley Moore [Sen.-R-WV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.3266 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make loans and loan guarantees for planning, constructing, or renovating pediatric or adult mental health treatment facilities and pediatric or adult substance use disorder treatment facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McClellan, Jennifer L. [Rep.-D-VA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3269 — To address patent thickets; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3271 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase funding for Social Security and Medicare; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3277 — To provide health insurance benefits for outpatient and inpatient items and services related to the diagnosis and treatment of a congenital anomaly or birth defect; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3287 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a clearinghouse of ZIP-Code based information to expecting mothers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3288 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of prescription digital therapeutics under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hern, Kevin [Rep.-R-OK-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3295 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the accuracy and transparency of animal use data collected by the National Institutes of Health from entities that conduct biomedical and behavioral research with funds provided under such Act; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3302 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Healthy Start Initiative; Sponsor: Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [Rep.-D-NY-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3309 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services; Sponsor: Sorensen, Eric [Rep.-D-IL-17]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

Reconciliation Update – Congress returned from a two-week recess last week and began marking up parts of the budget reconciliation package containing the spending and savings directives from the fiscal year 2025 budget resolution adopted in early April. Six House committees – Oversight and Government Reform, Judiciary, Homeland Security, Armed Services, Education and Workforce, Transportation and Infrastructure – held markups last week of their specific reconciliation instructions. The Education and Workforce package includes provisions to cap student loan amounts – $50,000 for undergraduates, $100,00 for graduate students, and $150,000 for students in professional programs – and revise student loan repayment policies. The GOP aims to use the reconciliation package to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is targeting the week of May 19 to hold a vote on the assembled package on the House floor.

 

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is instructed to produce approximately $880 billion in savings over the next decade, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) estimates that health care provisions could account for $500 to $600 billion of the panel’s deficit reduction target. Negotiations between committee Republicans, GOP leadership, and the Trump administration are ongoing as policymakers work to reach an agreement around the details of Medicaid reform. Republican leadership is insisting that changes to the Medicaid program can be accomplished without cutting enrollee benefits for the most vulnerable populations. Proposals that may be under consideration include: cutting the tax levied by states on providers and hospitals to generate Medicaid funding; reducing Medicaid expansion states’ enhanced federal match rate; adding federal work requirements to the Medicaid program; mandating more frequent Medicaid beneficiary eligibility checks; excluding noncitizens from Medicaid program eligibility; per capita caps on Medicaid funding for expansion state enrollees; and lowering the federal Medicaid matching rate for the District of Columbia. The White House has also held discussions about the idea of pursuing a most-favored-nation policy – linking the price paid by the U.S. government for certain pharmaceuticals to the lower prices paid abroad – as a possible alternative for generating the savings necessary to help pay for the reconciliation package. Chair Guthrie has delayed Energy and Commerce’s markup of its portion of the reconciliation bill to the week of May 12. The panel had initially planned to meet on May 7.

 

A bloc of moderate Republican lawmakers remains wary of making drastic changes to the safety net program.  Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), for example, has stated that he will not support legislation with more than $500 billion in reductions to Medicaid. GOP leadership will have to balance the concerns of these members with the insistence of at least 20 more conservative Republicans that deep cuts to the Medicaid program are crucial for reining in the federal deficit. With a seven-seat majority in the House, the GOP can lose no more than three Republicans if all members are present and voting, in what is expected to be an otherwise party-line vote.

 

President’s Budget Proposes Steep Cuts to HHS/NIH – The Trump administration released its fiscal year 2026 abbreviated – or “skinny” – budget request on Friday. The administration’s full budget request to Congress will be released at a later date. The budget proposes to cut $33.3 billion in discretionary funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – a 26.2% reduction compared to current spending. This includes a $3.6 billion reduction in discretionary funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an $18 billion reduction for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Make America Healthy Again initiative would be funded at $500 million. On Capitol Hill, the President’s budget request is understood as a signal of the administration’s priorities and spending targets for the coming fiscal year rather than an actual legislative proposal. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) has already expressed “serious objections” to the budget’s proposed cuts to biomedical research which she and other senators voiced during a hearing she chaired last Wednesday titled “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation.”

 

Energy and Commerce Advances Six Health Bills – The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced six health bills to the full chamber on Tuesday:

• R. 2483, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, was reported by a vote of 36–13. Several Democrats who voted against the typically bipartisan bill cited concerns about recent layoffs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Certain SUPPORT Act programs lapsed at the end of fiscal year 2023, and reauthorization of the law was dropped from the initially proposed bipartisan year-end spending package in December 2024.
• R. 1520, the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act, was reported by a vote of 46–1.
• R. 2319, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025, was reported by voice vote.
• R. 1669, to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program, was reported by voice vote.
• R. 1082, the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act, was reported by voice vote.
• R. 2484, the Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act, was reported by a vote of 38–7.

 

Ways and Means Republicans Outline Value-Based Care Priorities – Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee have sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services outlining their priorities for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). The lawmakers urge the agency to focus on payment models that save money, improve transparency and communication around changes to existing models, ensure solicitation of stakeholder feedback in the development of new models, and renew attention on improving rural health care. The letter details the lawmakers’ concerns with CMMI’s failure to develop value-based payment models that improve care quality and reduce costs to the government. “We believe that with the right leadership, CMMI can produce models that promote value over volume, result in meaningful program savings, improve care for the most vulnerable beneficiaries living in rural and underserved communities, and better incorporate public input,” the letter states.

 

Connolly to Retire, Step Down as Oversight Ranking Member – Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) announced his decision last week to not run for reelection and to step down from his position as ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Rep. Connolly, 75, has been battling esophagus cancer since late last year. He has served in the House of Representatives since 2009.

 

GAO Report on Implementation of Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report on the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. The report describes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) implementation of the negotiation program and the inflation rebate program, and assesses CMS’s plans for using funds for both programs. The report includes details about how CMS spends money on activities such as program support, administration, and outreach and education efforts.

 

NIH Director Speeds Implementation of New Public Access Policy – NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD announced his decision last week to move up the implementation date of a recent change to the NIH Public Access Policy.  The 2024 change, which will make NIH research findings freely accessible to the public without the previously instated one-year embargo period, was set to go into effect December 31, 2025. It will now be effective as of July 1, 2025. “Earlier implementation of the Public Access Policy will help increase public confidence in the research we fund while also ensuring that the investments made by taxpayers produce replicable, reproducible, and generalizable results that benefit all Americans,” Bhattacharya stated.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization hearing “Improving Access to External VA Care through Enhanced Scheduling Technology;” 3:00 p.m.; May 5

 

Senate Finance Committee hearing to consider the nominations of James O’Neill, of California, to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Gary Andres, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services; 10:00 a.m.; May 6

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee markup of pending legislation, including H.R. 1107, Protecting Veteran Access to Telemedicine Services Act; H.R. 1336, Veterans National Traumatic Brian Injury Treatment Act; H.R. 658, To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish qualifications for the appointment of a person as a marriage and family therapist, qualified to provide clinical supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration; H.R. 1860, Women Veterans Cancer Care Coordination Act; 10:15 a.m.; May 6

 

House Budget Committee hearing “The Fiscal State of the Nation;” 10:00 a.m.; May 7

 

House Appropriations Committee oversight hearing on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; 9:00 a.m.; May 8

 

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on the nominations of James O’Neill to serve as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Janette Nesheiwat to serve as Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service; 10:00 a.m.; May 8

 

Senate HELP Committee hearing on Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget (witness: The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.); 1:00 p.m.; May 14

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.1500 —A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage from imposing cost-sharing requirements with respect to diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations; Sponsor: Shaheen, Jeanne [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1501 — A bill to amend the Animal Health Protection Act to improve the prevention of the spread of animal diseases, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

 

H.R.3029 — To amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to support nucleic acid screening, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.3032 — To ensure appropriate access to remote monitoring services furnished under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Balderson, Troy [Rep.-R-OH-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3037 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage from imposing cost-sharing requirements with respect to diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3038 — To amend the Animal Health Protection Act to improve the prevention of the spread of animal diseases, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Feenstra, Randy [Rep.-R-IA-4]; Committees: House – Agriculture; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3039 — To direct the Attorney General to authorize the youth gun violence prevention program; Sponsor: Goldman, Daniel S. [Rep.-D-NY-10]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3042 — To rescue domestic medical manufacturing activity by providing incentives in economically distressed areas of the United States and its possessions; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3043 — To prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to support animal experimentation in the laboratories of adversarial nations; Sponsor: McClain, Lisa C. [Rep.-R-MI-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3051 — To direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, or its successor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide assistance for individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tlaib, Rashida [Rep.-D-MI-12]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3052 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide assistance for individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tlaib, Rashida [Rep.-D-MI-12]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3053 — To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to carry out a study on interagency data sharing and collaboration between the State agencies that administer WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Agriculture; Energy and Commerce

 

S.1506 — A bill to establish a Medicare-for-all national health insurance program; Sponsor: Sanders, Bernard [Sen.-I-VT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.360 — Expressing support for the designation of the last Tuesday of April each year as “APOL1-Mediated Kidney Disease (AMKD) Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Plaskett, Stacey E. [Del.-D-VI-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3063 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to assist rural hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Figures, Shomari [Rep.-D-AL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3069 — To establish an improved Medicare for All national health insurance program; Sponsor: Jayapal, Pramila [Rep.-D-WA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce; Rules; Oversight and Government Reform; Armed Services; Judiciary

 

H.R.3079 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to extend renewal periods for certain home and community-based services waivers and State plan amendments under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Rulli, Michael A. [Rep.-R-OH-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3080 — To ensure health care fairness and affordability for all Americans through universal access to equitable health insurance tax credits, reformed health savings accounts, and strengthened consumer protections, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sessions, Pete [Rep.-R-TX-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3082 — To repeal section 704(b)(12) of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Titus, Dina [Rep.-D-NV-1]; Committees: House – Oversight and Government Reform; Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

S.Res.192 — A resolution designating April 30, 2025, as “National Assistive Technology Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.Res.194 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2025 as “Parkinson’s Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1533 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moran, Jerry [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1535 — A bill to ensure high-quality remote physiologic monitoring services for Medicare beneficiaries and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.362 — Expressing support for the designation of April 30, 2025, as “National Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Johnson, Henry C. “Hank” [Rep.-D-GA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3088 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to include licensed hearing aid specialists under the Veterans Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barrett, Tom [Rep.-R-MI-7]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.3091 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat amounts paid for fertility treatments as medical expenses for purposes of health savings accounts, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3092 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for additional requirements with respect to electrodiagnostic services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sessions, Pete [Rep.-R-TX-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3099 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to local governments for the training of local law enforcement officers on public health threats arising from violations of building codes, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Costa, Jim [Rep.-D-CA-21]; Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure

 

H.R.3102 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Guest, Michael [Rep.-R-MS-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3103 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to establish requirements for the disclosure of certain information relating to health care sharing ministries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Huffman, Jared [Rep.-D-CA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3108 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to payment for remote patient monitoring under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Kustoff, David [Rep.-R-TN-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3121 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand trauma-informed training for law enforcement personnel and emergency medical technicians related to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking cases, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3128 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat diapers as qualified medical expenses; and to prohibit States and local governments to impose a tax on the retail sale of diapers; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Judiciary

 

S.Res.198 — A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should withdraw a reduction in public notice and comment opportunities; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1546 — A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to address matters relating to patent subject matter eligibility, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1548 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain Nurse Corps payments from gross income; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1551 — A  bill to deny tax deductions and other Federal funding for the costs of gender transition procedures; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1552 — A bill to promote and protect from discrimination living organ donors; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1553 – A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to invest in inventors in the United States, maintain the United States as the leading innovation economy in the world, and protect the property rights of the inventors that grow the economy of the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Coons, Christopher A. [Sen.-D-DE]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1562 — A bill to reauthorize the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act; Sponsor: Bennet, Michael F. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1565 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow expenses for parents to be taken into account as medical expenses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.369 — Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should withdraw a reduction in public notice and comment opportunities; Sponsor: Fletcher, Lizzie [Rep.-D-TX-7]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.Res.371 — Expressing support for the designation of May 2025 as “National Brain Tumor Awareness Month”; Sponsor: McCaul, Michael T. [Rep.-R-TX-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.372 — Recognizing the impact the stigmatization of menstruation has on the lives of women, girls, and people who menstruate, and expressing support for the designation of the month of May as “National Menstrual Health Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Meng, Grace [Rep.-D-NY-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3130 — To establish education partnership programs between public schools and public health agencies to prevent the misuse and overdose of synthetic opioids by youth, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3134 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of certain services furnished by freestanding emergency centers; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3136 — To require the reinstatement of recently terminated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barragán, Nanette Diaz [Rep.-D-CA-44]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3145 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain Nurse Corps payments from gross income; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3146 — To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include service as a volunteer firefighter or volunteer emergency medical technician as a public service job for purposes of eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Goldman, Daniel S. [Rep.-D-NY-10]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.3148 — To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to assist certain members of the Armed Forces and dependents with additional supplemental coverage relating to cancer; Sponsor: Jack, Brian [Rep.-R-GA-3]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.3152 — To amend title 35, United States Code, to address matters relating to patent subject matter eligibility, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kiley, Kevin [Rep.-R-CA-3]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3154 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to eliminate the general Medicaid funding limitations for territories of the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [Del.-R-MP-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3162 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow for the importation of affordable and safe drugs by wholesale distributors, pharmacies, and individuals; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3164 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide pharmacy payment of certain services; Sponsor: Smith, Adrian [Rep.-R-NE-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3170 — To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to cover, for purposes of workers’ compensation under such chapter, services by physician assistants and nurse practitioners provided to injured Federal workers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Walberg, Tim [Rep.-R-MI-5]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

RFK Jr. to Testify Before HELP in May – Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in mid-May. A date has yet to be set for the hearing. HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a request for the Secretary to appear before the Committee on April 10 to discuss the recent HHS reductions in force and proposed reorganization, but the Secretary did not formally respond to the initial request. An HHS spokesperson has framed next month’s hearing as a part of the normal proceedings surrounding the President’s budget proposal.  It will be Kennedy’s  first time before Congress since overseeing a major restructuring of the department. HHS staff recently told the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the Secretary may not be able to speak about the recent HHS reduction-in-force until 60 days after personnel dismissals.

 

Cassidy Releases Report on 340B Reform – Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) has released a report detailing the findings of a years’ long investigation into the 340B drug pricing program. “This investigation underscores that there are transparency and oversight concerns that prevent 340B discounts from translating to better access or lower costs for patients. Congress needs to act to bring much-needed reform to the 340B program,” said Sen. Cassidy. Potential reforms suggested by the report include:

• Requiring covered entities to provide detailed annual reporting on how 340B revenue is used to ensure direct savings for patients;

• Addressing potential logistical challenges caused by increased administrative complexity;

• Investigating the types of financial benefits contract pharmacies and third-party administrators receive for administering the 340B program;
• Requiring transparency and data reporting for entities supporting participants in the 340B program; and

• Providing clear guidelines to ensure that manufacturer discounts actually benefit 340B-eligible patients, including examining legislative changes to the definition of eligible patient and contract pharmacies’ use of the inventory replenishment model.

 

Carter Launches American-Made Medicines Caucus – Rep. Buddy Carter, BSPharm (R-Ga.), alongside Reps. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), launched the American-Made Medicines Caucus last week. The group will focus on promoting policies to onshore and friendshore pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthen U.S. economic and national security interests, and reduce America’s reliance on adversarial countries for essential medications. “China determines whether we have the pharmaceutical products we need in the United States to keep our citizens healthy,” Rep. Carter stated in the press release announcing the caucus. “That is a terrifying reality, one we must address before the next public health crisis.”

 

President Pledges to Veto Cuts to Medicare, Medicaid – President Donald Trump stated in an interview last week that he would veto legislation that includes cuts to the Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid programs. Congressional Republicans are currently drafting a budget reconciliation package to advance the President’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. This includes $880 billion in savings over the next decade from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. President Trump indicated that he would be open to polices that reduce Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse. House GOP leadership is aiming to enact the budget reconciliation bill by the end of May, while Senate Republicans have discussed completing the process by August. House committees are scheduled to begin marking up reconciliation packages this week. The House Energy and Commerce Committee expects to markup its package next week.

 

Durbin Announces Decision to Retire – Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has announced his decision to not run for re-election next year. Sen. Durbin was first elected to the Senate in 1996 after serving for 14 years in the House of Representatives. He has held the number two leadership post in the chamber for more than 20 years, and currently serves as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Durbin is one of nine current lawmakers who has spent more than half their life in Congress.

 

SCOTUS Calls for New Briefs Following Braidwood Oral Arguments – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management. The case will decide the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive services mandate and requirements for no-cost access to services as it relates to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The Supreme Court appeal follows a lower court ruling that the USPSTF is unconstitutional because its members wield power that resembles legislative authority without being appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.  The Trump White House has aligned itself with its Biden administration predecessors in defending  the preventive services requirement and USPSTF; however, the new administration goes further in its arguments regarding the authority of the HHS secretary. The Biden administration previously argued that USPSTF’s authority derives from the HHS secretary, who retains a supervisory role over the task force. The Trump administration further argues that the HHS secretary has full authority over USPSTF, including final say over its membership, recommendations, and course of studies. A majority of the Supreme Court appeared skeptical of the plaintiff’s challenge to the law last week. The Court ordered more briefings after arguments on Friday, asking the parties to discuss the HHS secretary’s authority to appoint the members of the Task Force. A ruling in the case is expected by the end of June.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Answering the Call: Examining VA’s Mental Health Policies;” 10:00 a.m.; April 29

 

House Education and Workforce Committee markup of Committee Print to Comply with Reconciliation Directives Included in H.Con.Res 14, Section 2001(B)(3), H.Res. 344; 10:15 a.m.; April 29

 

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing “Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Outreach to Support Veterans’ Mental Health;” 10:30 a.m.; April 29

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health hearing “Dignity Denied: The Case for Reform at State Veterans Homes;” 2:15 p.m.; April 29

 

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup to consider: H.R. 2483, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025; H.R. 1520, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act; H.R. 2319, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025; H.R. 1669, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Training Program; H.R. 1082, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act; H.R. 2484, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act; 10:15 a.m., April 29

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Answering the Call: Examining VA’s Mental Health Policies;” 10:00 a.m.; April 30

 

House Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing “Investing for the Future: Honoring ERISA’s Promise to Participants;” 10:15 a.m.; April 30

 

Senate Appropriations Committee hearing “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation;” 10:30 a.m.; April 30

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.Res.342 — Recognizing the history of the drug diethylstilbestrol and the harm it has caused, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McGovern, James P. [Rep.-D-MA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.344 — Of inquiry requesting the President, and directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to transmit respectively, to the House of Representatives certain documents relating to the elimination of the Administration for Community Living; Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.Res.345 — Expressing support for designation of the month of April 2025 as “Parkinsons Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Bell, Wesley [Rep.-D-MO-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3000 — To address the worsening long-term care workforce crisis and increase access to and affordability of long-term care; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3006 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit the coinsurance amount for certain services furnished in an ambulatory surgical center; Sponsor: Kelly, Mike [Rep.-R-PA-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3010 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to deny the deduction for advertising and promotional expenses for certain drugs; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3017 —To direct the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an annual study on health care competition and consolidation at the State level; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.3018 —To amend the Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 to repeal the antitrust exemption applicable to graduate medical resident matching programs; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.3019 —To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish new community benefit standards for tax-exempt hospital organizations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.3020 —To require the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the effects of anticompetitive contracting clauses in contracts between health insurers and health care providers and to determine actions taken by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice relating to the use of such clauses in such contracts and to assess their ability to effectively enforce the Federal antitrust laws with respect to such use; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.R.3021 —To eliminate the inpatient-only service list; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3022 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal the Obamacare ban on provider-owned hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3023 —To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to address incorrect billing by off-campus hospital locations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spartz, Victoria [Rep.-R-IN-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.3025 —To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the coverage of assisted reproductive services under the TRICARE program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Strickland, Marilyn [Rep.-D-WA-10]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.3027 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a counseling program for certain survivors of veterans who die by suicide; Sponsor: Van Drew, Jefferson [Rep.-R-NJ-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

GOP Sets Ambitious Timeline for Reconciliation Bill – Republican leadership of the House of Representatives is aiming for all committees to hold markups of their respective components of the forthcoming reconciliation package within the first two weeks after the chamber returns from recess on April 28. The joint budget resolution adopted by Congress earlier this month sets a nonbinding deadline of May 9 for committees to deliver their respective sections of the bill. Senate and House Budget Committee leadership are targeting Memorial Day for sending the bill to President Donald Trump for his signature. House leadership encouraged committees to work over the recess in order to meet this ambitious timeline. The GOP aims to use the reconciliation package to advance the President’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. This includes $880 billion in savings over the next decade from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program.

 

Twelve House Republicans signed on to a letter to GOP leadership stating that they will not support any final bill that includes cuts to Medicaid enrollees’ benefits. “We must reform Medicaid so that it is a strong and long-lasting program for years to come,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, “However, we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.” The letter, which was signed by Reps. David Valadao (Calif.), Don Bacon (Neb.), Jeff Van Drew (N.J.), Rob Bresnahan (Pa.), Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), Jen Kiggans (Va.), Young Kim (Calif.), Rob Wittman (Va.), Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), and Jeff Hurd (Colo.), expresses openness to targeted reforms that “improve program integrity, reduce improper payments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities and pregnant women — those who the program was intended to help.”

 

Internal Document Shows Deep Budget Cuts for HHS – The Trump administration is considering deep cuts to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) according to an internal budget proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The ‘pre-decisional’ proposal would cut one-third of the department’s budget, reducing discretionary funding from $116.8 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025 to approximately $80.4 billion. The document proposes to cut funding for both the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by more than 40%. Funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Administration for Community Living would be eliminated. The new Administration for a Healthy America, under which many of the eliminated programs would be consolidated, would receive roughly $14 billion in budget authority. The proposal is still subject to change, given that the White House has not yet sent its formal FY 2026 budget proposal to Congress. Spokespeople for OMB have also confirmed that no final funding decisions have been made.

 

Bipartisan Probe MA Compliance with MLR Requirements – Reps. Greg Murphy, MD (R-N.C.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) have sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that the agency investigate the growth of Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers, and specifically whether the insurers meet the federal requirement to spend at least 85% of their revenue on beneficiary health care. The letter suggests that insurer acquisition of related businesses like health care providers could undermine the effectiveness of medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements, noting that payments to a related business are considered medical expenses for purposes of calculating the MLR, even though a portion of these payments may ultimately be profits for the insurer. The lawmakers request that GAO examine the ownership structures of MA insurers, trends in spending on medical services and supplemental benefits, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) oversight of MA reporting requirements.

 

Ways and Means RFI on OPOs – The House Ways and Means Committee issued a request for information (RFI) on the nation’s 55 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) on Wednesday. The panel seeks information from the public about whether the groups, which qualify as tax-exempt organizations, are abiding by federal laws and regulations. The RFI provides background on the laws and regulations governing OPOs as 501(c)(3) entities, and also details recent reports suggesting that certain OPOs have billed Medicare for costs that may not be appropriate or allowable under law. Responses should be submitted to [email protected] by May 16, 2025.

 

E&C Republicans Investigate 23andMe Bankruptcy – Republican leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have launched an investigation into 23andMe and its handling of Americans’ sensitive data following the company’s decision to file for bankruptcy. 23andMe filed for bankruptcy last month, and announced that it intends to sell all of its assets to pay off debts. The company’s most valuable asset is considered to be its genetic database of over 15 million customers. “With the lack of a federal comprehensive data privacy and security law, we write to express our great concern about the safety of Americans’ most sensitive personal information,” the letter states. The lawmakers specifically express concerns about reports of customers experiencing issues accessing and deleting their data from their 23andMe accounts. The lawmakers request a response to questions related to the practices 23andMe will implement with regard to customers’ sensitive information by May 1.

 

Democrats Urge Part D Coverage of GLP-1’s – A group of five Democratic senators have sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding access to GLP-1’s in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The letter, signed by Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), and Gary Peters (Mich.), calls on the administration to reissue a Biden-administration proposed rule that would have allowed Medicare Part D to cover the anti-obesity drugs. The Trump administration recently decided not to finalize the proposal, with CMS providing no reason for the decision. The lawmakers argue that allowing Medicare and Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity “will not only benefit the health of Americans, but is also a critical long-term investment to improve the costly treatment of health complications associated with obesity.”

 

NJ Congressman in Intensive Care – Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), 66, was admitted to an intensive care unit on Tuesday and faces an extended recovery that could require physical rehabilitation, according to a press release from his office. Norcross was diagnosed with a gallbladder infection that had progressed to sepsis. Norcross has served in Congress since 2014 and currently serves on the Armed Services and Education and the Workforce committees.

 

President Signs Drug Price Executive Order – President Donald Trump signed an executive order (E.O.) on Tuesday aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. The E.O. touches upon several key policy issues, including: 340B, the Inflation Reduction Act’s “pill penalty,” and pharmacy benefit managers.  Hart Health Strategies Inc. has prepared an analysis of the E.O. below, and an official fact sheet can be found here.

 

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)

• Directs several offices to provide recommendations on how to promote “a more competitive, efficient, transparent, and resilient pharmaceutical value chain.”  While the E.O. does not explicitly cite PBMs, the section is titled “Reevaluating the Role of Middlemen,” which has typically been understood as the PBMs, but could include others in the drug supply chain.
• Directs the Secretary to improve “fiduciary transparency” of PBM compensation for employer health plans under ERISA.

 

Drug Administration

• Directs the Secretary to propose regulations that ensure Medicare payments for administered medications do not encourage care in hospital outpatient departments over “physician office settings.”

 

Insulin & Injectable Epinephrine

• Directs the Secretary to ensure that federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) offer insulin and injectable epinephrine at or below the 340B price to patients with a high cost-sharing requirement for either insulin or injectable epinephrine, a high unmet deductible, or no health care insurance.  Ensuring these discounts will be a condition for future grants made under Section 330(e).

 

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

• While Republicans have long discussed the possibility of repealing the IRA, the E.O. commits to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP) and directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue seeking guidance and comments for future rounds of drug negotiations.
• Directs several offices to provide recommendation on how to “stabilize and reduce” Medicare Part D premiums.
• Directs Congress to end the “pill penalty,” which currently allows for the MDPNP to review small molecule drugs (i.e. pills) four years earlier than it permits review of biologic products.  The E.O. instructs Congress to address this discrepancy, which is understood to exempt all drugs from MDPNP eligibility for 13 years.

 

Generics & Biosimilars

• Directs the Secretary to provide administrative and legislative recommendations that increase generic, biosimilar, and other select drug approvals.  It also directs the Secretary to make recommendations on opportunities to reclassify prescription drugs to over-the-counter medications.

 

International Importation

• Directs the Secretary to streamline State application and approval of drug wholesale importation programs.  While Florida’s program has been approved, Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas, and Vermont have not received program approval to date.

 

Medicare

• Instructs the Secretary to develop and implement a payment model to secure “better value” for high-cost prescription drugs that are not subject to the MDPNP.  “Better value” is not defined within the E.O.

 

Site Neutrality

• Instructs the Secretary to conduct a survey and subsequently propose adjustments that would achieve Medicare site neutrality for outpatient drugs.  Site neutrality within the E.O. aims to remove additional payments made by Medicare for drugs provided at hospital outpatient departments.  The E.O. does not comment on services nor does it mention physician offices.

 

Medicaid

• Directs several offices to provide recommendations to improve the Medicaid drug rebate program with manufacturers, identify new drug payment methods, implement value-based care for drugs, and “support” Medicaid drug spending.

 

Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

• Directs the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct listening sessions and issue a report with recommendations to reduce “anti-competitive behavior” by pharmaceutical manufacturers.

 

Dr. Oz Sworn-in as CMS Administrator – Mehmet Oz, MD was officially sworn in as administrator of CMS on Friday. Dr. Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, was confirmed by the Senate along party lines earlier this month. During his remarks at the swearing in ceremony, Oz identified several areas of focus for his work going forward – noting that Medicaid often crowds out other social programs in state budgets and highlighting how much the U.S. spends on health care per person compared to other countries, the prevalence of medical errors, and the decline in the nation’s life expectancy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oz also aligned himself with the administration’s Make America Healthy Again vision, stating “Together, we’re going to make the care better. We’re going to make … the outcomes improve, and we’re going to make sure that America can actually be the healthiest country it could ever possibly be.”

 

DOJ Contacts Medical Journals About Competing Viewpoints – The Department of Justice  has sent letters to at least three medical journals requesting information about how the publications handle scientific debates and competing viewpoints. The letter to the editor-in-chief of CHEST from Edward R. Martin Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, states that “more and more journals and publications like CHEST Journal are conceding that they are partisans in various scientific debates.” Martin poses the following questions:

• How do you assess your responsibilities to protect the public from misinformation?
• How do you clearly articulate to the public when you have certain viewpoints that are influenced by your ongoing relations with supporters, funders, advertisers, and others?
• Do you accept articles or essays from competing viewpoints?
• How do you assess the role played by government officials and funding organizations like the National Institutes of Health in the development of submitted articles?
• How do you handle allegations that authors of works in your journals may have misled their readers?

The letter requests a response by May 2.

 

HHS Opens Tip Line on Gender Affirming Care – HHS has launched a new whistleblower tip line to report physicians offering gender-affirming care to children. The page offers multiple options for submitting complaints “related to the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.” President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January characterizing puberty blockers and hormones for people under 19 as forms of chemical and surgical mutilation. Enforcement of the order is currently on hold following a preliminary injunction by a U.S. district court judge, who ruled that the order unconstitutionally treated people differently based on their sex or transgender status in violation of the equal protection guarantee of the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup to consider: H.R. 2483, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025; H.R. 1520, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act; H.R. 2319, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025; H.R. 1669, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Training Program; H.R. 1082, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act; and H.R. 2484, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act; 10:15 a.m.; April 29

 

Senate Appropriations Committee hearing “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation;” 10:30 a.m.; April 30

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.Res.332 — Supporting the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17, 2025, as the eighth annual “Black Maternal Health Week”, founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA), to bring national attention to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing people; Sponsor: Adams, Alma S. [Rep.-D-NC-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2921 —To require the Secretary of Defense to provide to firefighters of the Department of Defense medical testing and related services to detect and prevent certain cancers; Sponsor: Bacon, Don [Rep.-R-NE-2]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.2934 —To amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for a new rule regarding the application of the Act to marijuana, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Transportation and Infrastructure

 

H.R.2935 — To establish a Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis to study a prompt and plausible pathway to the Federal regulation of cannabis, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Ways and Means; Agriculture; Financial Services

 

H.R.2936 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to allow certain public health data modernization grants to be used to track hospital bed capacity, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, John [Rep.-R-PA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2937 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety telecommunicators; Sponsor: Kelly, Robin L. [Rep.-D-IL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2942 —To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish standard practices for a grant or pilot program administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs through the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D-OH-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2943 — To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on insurance coverage of dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder; Sponsor: Lawler, Michael [Rep.-R-NY-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Oversight and Government Reform

 

H.R.2957 —To amend the Public Health Service Act to support the development and implementation of programs using data analysis to identify and facilitate strategies to improve outcomes for children in geographic areas with a high prevalence of trauma from exposure to adverse childhood experiences, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pressley, Ayanna [Rep.-D-MA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2960 — To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program of payments to children’s hospitals that operate graduate medical education programs; Sponsor: Schrier, Kim [Rep.-D-WA-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2970 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to the laws relating to advocacy for veterans who receive health care and other benefits furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Yakym, Rudy [Rep.-R-IN-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

House Passes GOP Budget Resolution – The House of Representatives agreed to the fiscal year 2025 Concurrent Budget Resolution as amended by the Senate (H. Con. Res. 14) on Thursday by a vote of 216-214. The vote allows the budget reconciliation process to proceed. Congressional Republicans must now begin drafting a reconciliation package to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic policy agenda, including tax cuts, energy policy, and border security, while trimming the budget deficit by at least $1.5 trillion. The budget blueprint charges the House Energy and Commerce Committee with finding $880 billion in savings over the next decade, which is expected to necessitate cuts to the Medicaid program. Lawmakers have now returned to their districts for a two-week congressional recess. Both the Senate and the House are scheduled to reconvene on April 28. During the district work period, House Democrats have planned a series of national events in opposition to the GOP budget bill, including a Medicaid Matters Day of Action on April 17.

 

House Budget Committee Reestablishes Health Care Task Force – House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has reestablished the panel’s Health Care Task Force and appointed Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah) as chair. The Task Force was previously led by former Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-Texas). This congress, the Task Force plans to focus on the budgetary effects of chronic disease and opportunities to Make America Healthy Again. Members of the Task Force include Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.).

 

HELP Committee RFK Jr. Hearing Does Not Take Place– U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee last week to testify about the department’s proposed reorganization and reductions in force. HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had requested his attendance at a hearing set for April 10. Spokespersons for HHS have declined to comment on whether the Secretary has a date set to appear before the committee. During his confirmation process, Kennedy committed to coming before the HELP Committee on a quarterly basis upon request from the chair. He is not expected to appear before the committee until after the Senate returns from recess at the end of April.

 

E&C to Reschedule Consideration of Health Bills  – The House Energy and Commerce Committee convened a markup of 26 bills last week, including six bipartisan health care measures. During the markup, committee Democrats offered an amendment to take up and pass the end-of-year legislative package (including a partial Medicare physician fix and 2-year extension of telehealth flexibilities) that was removed from the December 2024 continuing resolution. The amendment failed on a party line vote. The panel did not have time to consider the following health bills due to scheduling conflicts, and plans to reschedule consideration of H.R. 2483, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act; H.R. 1520, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act; H.R. 2319, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act; H.R. 1669, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program; H.R. 1082, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act; and H.R. 2484, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act.

 

National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology Releases Final Report – The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology released its congressionally mandated final report last week. The report’s recommendations are centered on the following pillars: prioritizing biotechnology at the national level; mobilizing the private sector to get U.S. products to scale; maximizing the benefits of biotechnology and defense; out-innovating strategic competitors; building the biotechnology workforce of the future; and mobilizing the collective strengths of allies and partners.  The 11-member bipartisan commission led by Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) was mandated as part of the 2022 defense authorization bill. Sen. Young said he is already working with the leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee to include provisions from the report in the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

 

Cassidy Raises Concerns About 23andMe Bankruptcy – Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) has sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing concerns about the potential sale of 23andMe’s genetic database of over 15 million customers.  23andMe filed for bankruptcy last month, and announced that it intends to sell all of its assets to pay off debts.  Sen. Cassidy urges the administration to use its authority through the Committee on Foreign Investment to prevent foreign adversaries from buying the database.  “Safeguarding sensitive consumer data is a top goal to protect our national security,” Cassidy writes. “Chinese companies have already taken steps to collect genetic data across the world that could be used for adverse purposes. These adversaries may similarly seek to acquire 23andMe’s database and potentially use it against Americans.”

 

RAND Releases Report on Current State of Emergency Care – The RAND Corporation released a new report entitled Strategies for Sustaining Emergency Care in the United States. The report assesses the current value of emergency care, evaluates challenges to sustaining emergency care, measures trends in emergency care payment, and identifies alternate funding strategies for emergency care. The authors assert that while emergency departments offer many types of value to different stakeholders across the country, the stresses EDs have faced over the past decade (including the opioid and gun violence epidemics, COVID-19 pandemic, increases in patient acuity and complexity, and declines in payment) put the viability of emergency care at risk. The report includes the following recommendations:

• Stakeholders should advocate funding for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
• Local governments and other stakeholders should pursue policies to allocate city and local funds to ED care and related activities that confer value to the broader community.
• Stakeholders should develop uninsured and underinsured patient compensation benchmarks so that EDs are compensated commensurate with the level of indigent care they provide.
• Health care organizations and legislatures should invest in expanding primary care capacity and develop and implement strategies to address ED crowding.
• Legislatures should institute state or federal laws that protect health care workers by increasing the legal consequences for violence against health care workers.
• Stakeholders should advocate Medicaid expansion in states that have not adopted it yet and should advocate Medicaid parity with Medicare.
• Legislatures should require insurance entities to collect deductibles and copays from their enrollees and should implement a legislative fix to No Surprises Act flaws so that payers must pay in full any independent dispute resolution judgments to the prevailing physicians within a preset time frame.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Appropriations Committee hearing “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation;” 10:30 a.m.; April 30

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.1305 — A bill to allow for greater collaboration between the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the network of Manufacturing USA institutes; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.298 — Expressing support for the designation of April 7, 2025, as “World Health Day” and recognizing the importance of prioritizing public health nationally and globally; Sponsor: Thanedar, Shri [Rep.-D-MI-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2667 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow distributions from a health flexible spending arrangement or health reimbursement arrangement directly to a health savings account in connection with establishing coverage under a high deductible health plan; Sponsor: Bean, Aaron [Rep.-R-FL-4]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2678 — To provide for further comprehensive research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke on unruptured intracranial aneurysms, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2687 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a refundable tax credit for non-directed living kidney donations; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2695 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize grants for building communities of recovery; Sponsor: Pettersen, Brittany [Rep.-D-CO-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.1320 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women’s health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Murray, Patty [Sen.-D-WA]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1329 — A bill to address the behavioral health workforce shortages through support for peer support specialists, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kaine, Tim [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1330 — A bill to advance research to achieve medical breakthroughs in brain tumor treatment and improve awareness and adequacy of specialized cancer and brain tumor care; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1348 — A bill to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to prohibit an employer from recovering any health care premium paid by the employer for an employee if the employee fails to return to work due to the birth of a child, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lee, Mike [Sen.-R-UT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.305 — Expressing support for the designation of the fourth Wednesday of February as “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Day”; Sponsor: LaHood, Darin [Rep.-R-IL-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2715 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend the destruction authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to articles that present a significant public health concern, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Higgins, Clay [Rep.-R-LA-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2717 — To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women’s health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Houlahan, Chrissy [Rep.-D-PA-6]; Committees: House – Armed Services; Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2730 — To include pregnancy and loss of pregnancy as qualifying life events under the TRICARE program and to require a study on maternal health in the military heath system, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mace, Nancy [Rep.-R-SC-1]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.2732 — To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to prohibit an employer from recovering any health care premium paid by the employer for an employee if the employee fails to return to work due to the birth of a child, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moore, Riley [Rep.-R-WV-2]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Oversight and Government Reform; House Administration

 

H.R.2741 — To address the behavioral health workforce shortages through support for peer support specialists, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2744 — To amend part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a special enrollment period under Medicare for individuals enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smucker, Lloyd [Rep.-R-PA-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2745 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow both spouses to make catch-up contributions to the same health savings account; Sponsor: Steube, W. Gregory [Rep.-R-FL-17]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.1361 — A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to give priority in the consideration of suicide prevention grants to entities located in States that have not received such a grant, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cramer, Kevin [Sen.-R-ND]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1380 —A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program to encourage specialty medicine physicians to serve in rural communities experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1384 — A bill to require States to report information on Medicaid payments to abortion providers; Sponsor: Banks, Jim [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1387 — A bill to authorize the National Biotechnology Initiative, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Young, Todd [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1390 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise certain physician self-referral exemptions relating to physician-owned hospitals; Sponsor: Lankford, James [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1399 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure appropriate payment of certain algorithm-based healthcare services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Rounds, Mike [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.2753 — To amend the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to provide for a point of order against reconciliation measures that cut benefits for Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Rules; Budget

 

H.R.2756 — To authorize the National Biotechnology Initiative, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bice, Stephanie I. [Rep.-R-OK-5]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology; Foreign Affairs; Agriculture; Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2757 —To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve coverage of audiology services under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2767 —To advance research to achieve medical breakthroughs in brain tumor treatment and improve awareness and adequacy of specialized cancer and brain tumor care; Sponsor: Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [Rep.-R-PA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2779 — Abortion Funding Awareness Act – To require States to report information on Medicaid payments to abortion providers; Sponsor: Houchin, Erin [Rep.-R-IN-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2793 — To allow individuals to choose to opt out of the Medicare part A benefit; Sponsor: Palmer, Gary J. [Rep.-R-AL-6]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.Res.171 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of “National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.Res.172 — A resolution supporting the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17, 2025, as the eighth annual “Black Maternal Health Week”, founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc., to bring national attention to the maternal and reproductive health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing people; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.Res.173 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of World Malaria Day; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations

 

S.Res.181 — A resolution designating the week of April 14 through April 20, 2025, as “National Osteopathic Medicine Week”; Sponsor: Wicker, Roger F. [Sen.-R-MS]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.Res.182 — A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week; Sponsor: Lujan, Ben Ray [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1406 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the payment method for oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, to increase beneficiary access to oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1407 — A bill to ban the use of Federal funds for the purchase of drugs manufactured in the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1409 — A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and disseminate information on concussion and traumatic brain injury among public safety officers; Sponsor: Cornyn, John [Sen.-R-TX]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1410 —A bill to provide for health coverage with no cost-sharing for additional breast screenings for certain individuals at greater risk for breast cancer; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1414 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that clinical studies required for licensure of biological products as biosimilar shall not be required to include the assessment of immunogenicity, pharmacodynamics, or comparative clinical efficacy; Sponsor: Paul, Rand [Sen.-R-KY]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1435 — A bill to prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars to support animal experimentation in the laboratories of adversarial nations; Sponsor: Ernst, Joni [Sen.-R-IA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1440 — A bill to amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries); Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1448 — A bill to address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hirono, Mazie K. [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1460 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend incentive payments for participation in eligible alternative payment models under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Barrasso, John [Sen.-R-WY]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1469 —A bill to amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to include food allergy information in existing training modules for local food service personnel; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

 

S.1482 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the number of nurses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Sen.-D-DE]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1489 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for public health research and investment into understanding and eliminating structural racism and police violence; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.324 — Raising awareness of esophageal cancer by expressing support for the designation of April 2025 as “Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Connolly, Gerald E. [Rep.-D-VA-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.331 — Supporting the goals and ideals of “National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Pocan, Mark [Rep.-D-WI-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2810 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat amounts paid for private umbilical cord blood, or umbilical cord tissue, banking services as medical care expenses; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2821 —To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to publish a final rule relating to nonclinical testing methods; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2830 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and disseminate information on concussion and traumatic brain injury among public safety officers; Sponsor: Crenshaw, Dan [Rep.-R-TX-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2846 — To amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries); Sponsor: Houlahan, Chrissy [Rep.-D-PA-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2855 — To limit the impoundment, transfer, or reprogramming of Federal funds made available for the National Institutes of Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kennedy, Timothy M. [Rep.-D-NY-26]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2868 — To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to add highly pathogenic avian influenza as a high priority research and extension area; Sponsor: McBride, Sarah [Rep.-D-DE-At Large]; Committees: House – Agriculture

 

H.R.2874 — To provide for regulations on protecting statutory conscience rights in health care; Sponsor: Moolenaar, John R. [Rep.-R-MI-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2875 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow refunds of Federal motor fuel excise taxes on fuels used in mobile mammography vehicles; Sponsor: Moore, Tim [Rep.-R-NC-14]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2884 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for public health research and investment into understanding and eliminating structural racism and police violence; Sponsor: Pressley, Ayanna [Rep.-D-MA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2892 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and nationally disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote understanding about sensitivities regarding adoption in the health care industry, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smucker, Lloyd [Rep.-R-PA-11]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2902 —To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the payment method for oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, to increase beneficiary access to oxygen and oxygen related equipment, supplies, and services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Valadao, David G. [Rep.-R-CA-22]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

Senate Adopts Budget Blueprint – The Senate passed a budget resolution early Saturday morning, a critical step in the reconciliation process that Republicans hope to use to advance President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. The measure was adopted in a 51-48 vote following a lengthy series of votes on amendments known as a vote-a-rama. Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Susan Collins (Maine) were the only Republicans to vote against the resolution. For the reconciliation process to proceed, a unified budget resolution must first be adopted by the House of Representatives. The House approved its own budget resolution in February that called for $880 billion in savings over the next decade to come from the Energy and Commerce Committee – likely necessitating deep cuts to the Medicaid program. The possibility of such cuts has received bipartisan pushback in the Senate. During the Senate vote-a-rama, the chamber adopted an amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) to strengthen and improve Medicaid for the most vulnerable populations and extend the life of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. The amendment was agreed to along party lines, with Democrats arguing that the failure to define “most vulnerable populations” continues to leave the door open for cuts to the Medicaid program. House Republican leadership told their members that they will proceed with a vote on the Senate budget blueprint this week, despite apparent opposition from some fiscal conservatives. The Senate plan contains lower spending cut targets and would allow for more tax cuts that are not fully paid for in comparison to the House’s original framework. Republicans can only lose three members on a party-line vote if all members of the chamber are present and voting.

 

Dr. Oz Confirmed as CMS Administrator – The Senate confirmed Mehmet Oz, MD as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday in a 53-45 party line vote. As CMS administrator, Dr. Oz – a cardiothoracic surgeon – will be responsible for the agency in charge of the insurance coverage of more than 160 million people. During his Senate confirmation process, Oz stated that his focus as administrator will be on empowering beneficiaries with better tools and more transparency to manage their health and navigate the health care system; incentivizing health care providers to optimize care with real time information; and modernizing tools to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse.

 

Senate Panel Advances Six Bills to Lower Prescription Drug Prices – The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced six bipartisan pieces of legislation on Thursday that aim to reduce prescription drug costs and increase access to generic medications. Each of the bills – which were previously approved by the committee during the 118^th Congress– was advanced by voice vote.  The Prescription Pricing for the People Act (S. 527) requires the Federal Trade Commission to examine the effects of consolidation in the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry, as well as other potentially abusive behavior by PBMs, on pricing. The Drug Competition Enhancement Act (S. 1040) would prohibit branded drug manufacturers from deliberately preventing potential competitors from entering the marketplace using product hopping. The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act (S. 1041) would prevent bad actors in the pharmaceutical industry from using “patent thickets” to stop potential competitors from entering the marketplace. The Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act (S. 1097) would establish a task force between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve communication and coordination in implementing each agency’s activities related to pharmaceutical patents. The Stop STALLING Act (S. 1095) would deter branded pharmaceutical companies from filing sham “citizen petitions” with the FDA to interfere with the approval of generic and biosimilar medicines. Finally, the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act (S. 1096) would limit “pay-for-delay” deals that prevent or delay the introduction of generic drugs. The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act was the only bill of the six to pass the full Senate last Congress.

 

HELP Requests RFK Testimony on HHS Restructuring – Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have called on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the panel on Thursday. The lawmakers wish to discuss the department’s proposed reorganization and recent reductions in force. It remains unclear whether the Secretary will accept the panel’s invitation to testify. “The news coverage on the HHS reorg is being set by anonymous sources and opponents are setting the perceptions,” Sen. Cassidy said in a statement. “This will be a good opportunity for him to set the record straight and speak to the goals, structure and benefits of the proposed reorganization.” During his confirmation process, Kennedy committed to coming before the HELP Committee on a quarterly basis upon request from the chair.

 

E&C Democrats Press for Answers on HHS Job Cuts – Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his decision to eliminate 25% of the department’s workforce. The lawmakers ask for a response to the following requests by April 15:

• Provide a detailed list of the roles being eliminated across HHS;
• Describe in detail the process by which it was determined what roles would be eliminated;
• Specify what is meant by the elimination of 3,500 roles at the Food and Drug Administration not affecting reviewers or impacting reviewers;
• Specify which five regional offices will be closed and the process for determining why regional offices should be closed and which ones should be closed; and
• Specify which operating divisions will be eliminated or consolidated, and which new or existing operating division(s) will be responsible for carrying out the eliminated or consolidated operation division’s work.

The letter was signed by Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.). Staff from HHS are scheduled to brief the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the HHS restructuring this week.

 

Senate Democrats Urge HHS to Address MA Spending – A group of Senate Democrats led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have sent a letter to the Trump administration highlighting the need to reign in waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. The letter points out that the MA program has continuously cost more than traditional Medicare without improving health outcomes, arguing that MA program spending endangers the solvency of the Medicare trust funds. The lawmakers urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to:

• Eliminate waste and abuse from overpayments by improving risk adjustment calculations in the proposed 2026 MA Rate Notice and strictly enforcing the overpayment regulations for MA Organizations outlined in the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule.
• Strengthen enforcement against MA insurers that illegally deny care.
• Address additional barriers to care.
• Enact reforms to reduce disparities in care.

 

Booker Sets Record for Longest Speech on Senate Floor – Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) held the Senate floor for 25 hours and five consecutive minutes last week in protest of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. The speech broke the previous Senate floor speech record set by the late South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond in 1957, lasting 24 hours and 18 minutes. Booker yielded to Democratic senators throughout the day for questions to give himself short breaks from speaking. During the speech, he argued for the need to defend against actions from the administration that would cut Medicaid, defund medical research, and increase health care costs for Americans.

 

Court Issues Permanent Injunction in NIH Indirect Cost Cuts Litigation – On April 4, 2025, the federal government requested that the court convert its March 5 preliminary injunction (barring the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) indirect cost cuts) into a permanent injunction. In their motion for conversion, the NIH noted that it hoped to expedite its ability to appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals on the case’s merits once a final judgment was entered. The court agreed and issued a permanent injunction the same day. The ruling vacates the NIH’s February 2025 guidance (Notice Number NOT-OD-25-068), which sought to cap indirect cost reimbursement at 15%, and permanently bars the agency from implementing the cap nationwide unless the federal government is able to successfully appeal. Judge Angel Kelley of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts concluded that the plaintiffs—22 state attorneys general and several major research institutions—had demonstrated actual success on the merits of their claims. Reiterating the points in the preliminary injunction, the court held that the NIH’s policy violated federal law, was arbitrary and capricious, improperly retroactive, and was issued without required notice-and-comment procedures.

 

FTC’s PBM Lawsuit to Continue – The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) case against the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) will continue to move forward with the involvement of FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson. The status of the lawsuit against CVS Health Corp., Cigna Group, and UnitedHealth Group Inc., alleging that the PBMs used illegal rebate programs to keep less expensive insulin products off of drug formularies, was called into question following the Trump administration’s dismissal of the two Democratic commissioners overseeing the case last month. Ferguson, who had previously recused himself from the case, changed his decision last week to ensure that the lawsuit can continue.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Appropriations Committee hearing “Assessing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief;” 8:00 a.m.; April 8

 

House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health hearing “Lowering Costs for Patients: The Health of the Biosimilar Market;” 10:00 a.m.; April 8

 

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup at 10:00 a.m. on April 8 to consider:

• H.R. 2483, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025
• H.R. 1520, Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act
• H.R. 2319, Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025
• H.R. 1669, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Training Program.
• H.R. 1082, Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act
• H.R. 2484, Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act

 

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “The Freedom of Information Act: Perspectives from Public Requesters;” 10:15 a.m.; April 8

 

House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation hearing “Final Report on the National Security Commission for Emerging Biotechnology;” 4:00 p.m.; April 8

 

Senate HELP Committee executive session to consider S. 932, Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025; 10:00 a.m.; April 9

 

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing “Restoring Trust in FDA: Rooting Out Illicit Products;” 10:00 a.m.; April 9

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education public witness day; 10:30 a.m.; April 9

 

POSSIBLE: Senate HELP Committee hearing “An Update on the Restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services” with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; 10:00 a.m.; April 10

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.Res.276 — Raising awareness of the racial disparities in the impact of colorectal cancer on the Hispanic community; Sponsor: Hernández, Pablo [Resident Commissioner-D-PR-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.277 — Supporting the designation of May 2025 as “National Myositis Awareness Month”; Sponsor: McCormick, Richard [Rep.-R-GA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2483 — Sponsor: Guthrie, Brett [Rep.-R-KY-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Judiciary; Financial Services

 

H.R.2484 — Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2487 — To improve access to evidence-based, lifesaving health care for transgender people, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Balint, Becca [Rep.-D-VT-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2491 — To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Commissioner of Social Security to review and simplify the processes, procedures, forms, and communications for family caregivers to assist individuals in establishing eligibility for, enrolling in, and maintaining and utilizing coverage and benefits under the Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Social Security programs respectively, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cammack, Kat [Rep.-R-FL-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2493 — To reauthorize certain programs regarding rural health care; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2495 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of medical nutrition therapy services for individuals with eating disorders under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Chu, Judy [Rep.-D-CA-28]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2497 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a public health education, awareness, and outreach campaign to enhance access to abortion and related health services; Sponsor: Crockett, Jasmine [Rep.-D-TX-30]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2509 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide incentives for behavioral health integration; Sponsor: Malliotakis, Nicole [Rep.-R-NY-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2527 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve children’s vision and eye health through grants to States, territories, and Tribal organizations, and the provision of technical assistance to support those efforts; Sponsor: Veasey, Marc A. [Rep.-D-TX-33]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2528 — To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to clarify the treatment of certain association health plans as employers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Walberg, Tim [Rep.-R-MI-5]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2529 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to permit enrollees to obtain a 365-day supply of contraceptives; Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2531 — To direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard that requires covered employers within the health care and social service industries to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Courtney, Joe [Rep.-D-CT-2]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2532 — To prohibit certain removals of employees of the Department of Health and Human Services and sub-agencies and operating divisions thereof, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McClellan, Jennifer L. [Rep.-D-VA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means; Natural Resources

 

H.R.2533 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model to improve access to specialty health services for certain Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2538 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a comprehensive alternative response for emergencies model under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Carey, Mike [Rep.-R-OH-15]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2541 — To require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to revise its regulations to protect patients from unintended exposure to radiation during nuclear medicine procedures, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Davis, Donald G. [Rep.-D-NC-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2542 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to provide that priority research drugs shall not be treated as line extensions of existing drugs for purposes of calculating manufacturer rebates under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Davis, Donald G. [Rep.-D-NC-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2553 — To limit cost-sharing for prescription drugs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Horsford, Steven [Rep.-D-NV-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2554 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply prescription drug inflation rebates to drugs furnished in the commercial market and to change the base year for rebate calculations; Sponsor: Horsford, Steven [Rep.-D-NV-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2557 — To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide fertility treatment under the TRICARE Program; Sponsor: Jacobs, Sara [Rep.-D-CA-51]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.2560 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize lifespan respite care programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Langworthy, Nicholas A. [Rep.-R-NY-23]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2571 — To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to exclude from the definition of health insurance coverage certain medical stop-loss insurance obtained by certain plan sponsors of group health plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Onder, Robert [Rep.-R-MO-3]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2576 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for military sexual trauma, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pingree, Chellie [Rep.-D-ME-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2586 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to make medical assistance available to inmates during the 30-day period preceding their release; Sponsor: Tonko, Paul [Rep.-D-NY-20]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2587 — To establish a Youth Mental Health Research Initiative in the National Institutes of Health for purposes of encouraging collaborative research to improve youth mental health; Sponsor: Watson Coleman, Bonnie [Rep.-D-NJ-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.1248 — A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model to improve access to specialty health services for certain Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries; Sponsor: Mullin, Markwayne [Sen.-R-OK]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1256 — A bill to authorize the Pines Foundation to establish the Fire Island AIDS Memorial, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [Sen.-D-NY]; Committees: Senate – Energy and Natural Resources

 

S.1258 — A bill to prohibit the sale of food that is, or contains, unsafe poppy seeds; Sponsor: Cotton, Tom [Sen.-R-AR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1261 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1264 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program to promote collaborative treatment of mental and physical health comorbidities under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Bennet, Michael F. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1266 — A bill to establish a Youth Mental Health Research Initiative in the National Institutes of Health for purposes of encouraging collaborative research to improve youth mental health; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1269 — A bill to promote United States leadership in technical standards by directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of State to take certain actions to encourage and enable United States participation in developing standards and specifications for artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation

 

S.1290 — A bill to expand the functions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to include workforce frameworks for critical and emerging technologies, to require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop an artificial intelligence workforce framework, and periodically review and update the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Peters, Gary C. [Sen.-D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation

 

S.1302 — A bill to provide for increased transparency in generic drug applications; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.2589 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure the consensual donation and respectful disposition of human bodies and human body parts donated or transferred for education, research, or the advancement of medical, dental, or mortuary science and not for use in human transplantation, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2590 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration program to promote collaborative treatment of mental and physical health comorbidities under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R. 2610— To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to address significant under projection of MA local area growth due to wage index reclassification; Sponsor: Tenney, Claudia [Rep.-R-NY-24]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2615 — To prohibit the sale of food that is, or contains, unsafe poppy seeds; Sponsor: Womack, Steve [Rep.-R-AR-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2623 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as innovative therapies centers of excellence, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Correa, J. Luis [Rep.-D-CA-46]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2630 — To amend the Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act to expand the areas of focus regarding childhood suicide, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gillen, Laura [Rep.-D-NY-4]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.2636 — To provide for appropriate cost-sharing for individuals 26 years of age or younger for insulin products covered under private health plans; Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D-OH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.2639 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make permanent certain telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program for telehealth services furnished by Indian health programs; Sponsor: Leger Fernandez, Teresa [Rep.-D-NM-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2640 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that certain health care contractors of the Department of Veterans Affairs are subject to Federal tort claims laws, to improve the accountability of physicians of the Department, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Luttrell, Morgan [Rep.-R-TX-8]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs