Month: July 2026

Appropriations Update – The House of Representatives passed the $47.3 billion National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027 (H.R. 8595) in a 217-209 vote on Wednesday. The spending bill represents a 6% reduction compared to FY 2026. It includes nearly $8.9 billion in global health funding, $532 million below currently enacted levels. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief would receive $5.5 billion, while The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria would receive $1.25 billion. The House rule for consideration of H.R. 8595 added the text of the SAVE America Act (S. 1383) upon passage.

 

On Friday, House Republicans released the text of a stopgap spending measure to extend government funding at current levels until after the November midterm elections. The continuing resolution would fund the government through December 4. The chamber is expected to consider the measure on the House floor this week. Congress faces a September 30 deadline to pass a funding bill and avoid a government shutdown at the end of the fiscal year.

 

House Passes Budget Resolution – Republicans on the House Budget Committee voted to approve a budget resolution along party lines on Thursday, completing the first step toward advancing the third budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump’s second term in office. The $95 billion budget blueprint does not contain instructions for the Energy and Commerce or Ways and Means committees – the key panels with healthcare jurisdiction – meaning major health provisions or offsets will not be included in the eventual budget bill. The next reconciliation package is instead expected to focus on defense spending, aid to farmers, and voting integrity. Due to the narrow focus, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said they are already “looking at reconciliation 4.0 to do the things that are left out of this one.”

 

Physician Lawmakers Introduce MACRA Reform Legislation – Reps. John Joyce, MD (R-Pa.), Greg Murphy, MD (R-N.C.), and Kim Schrier, MD (D-Wash.), with two dozen other members, have introduced a comprehensive bill to reform the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). The bipartisan Patients First Act (H.R. 9693) would:

• Tie physician reimbursement to an inflationary measure.
• Establish a primary care hybrid payment pilot program that pays primary care providers a per-member-per-month payment along with regular services.
• Rebrand the Medicare Quality Payment Program and transition to the Patient Outcome Improvement National Tabulation System (POINTS), and establish a physician and clinician-led task force at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to develop quality metrics.
• Freeze advanced-alternative payment model participation thresholds for three years and create notice and comment periods for Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation mandatory models.
• Increase the budget neutrality threshold from $20 million to $57.64 million.

The bill text can be found here and a summary here.

 

Rep. Greg Murphy, MD Pens Op-Ed on Insurance Industry – In an op-ed published in The Hill on Monday, Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (R-N.C.) called on Congress to take action regarding the health insurance industry, highlighting that the seven largest for-profit insurers made nearly $1.7 trillion in total revenues – representing at least $54 billion in profits – last year. He specifically takes issue with the practice of stock buybacks, arguing that when insurance companies use excess profit to buy back their own stock“ it augments the upward spiral of patient financial distress as they try to pay for healthcare.” Rep. Murphy also acknowledges that increases in prior authorizations and claims denials make care more expensive and harder to access, while tying the “explosion of vertical integration, and its subsequent price tag” to the establishment of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace.

 

House Committees Markup Health Bills – The House Ways and Means Committee favorably reported seven pieces of health legislation last week. Each of the bills, apart from H.R. 9645, was advanced unanimously.

• Essential Caregivers Act (H.R. 9641)
• Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act (H.R. 3108)
• Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act (H.R. 9642)
• Saving Today’s Acute-Care Resources Act (H.R. 9468)
• Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514)
• Medicare Advantage MLR Transparency Act (H.R. 9644)
• Health Care Price Certainty for All Americans Act (H.R. 9645), which passed in a 25-15 vote.

 

On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced three bills by voice vote aimed at addressing existing and emerging illicit drug threats.

• PRESS Act (H.R. 7184)
• Stop Pills That Kill Act (H.R. 8005)
• Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act (H.R. 5880)

 

Senate GOP Blocks WISeR Resolution – Senate Republicans voted down a Congressional Review Act resolution (S.J.Res. 198) on Thursday that would have prohibited implementation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model. The resolution failed in a 46-50 vote. The WISeR pilot program, which launched on January 1 in Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington, uses artificial intelligence to apply prior authorization for 13 medical services deemed low-value or vulnerable to misuse in the traditional Medicare program. The model is set to run for six years.

 

House Postpones Vote on Veteran Benefits Package – The House of Representatives postponed a planned vote last week on legislation (H.R. 9237) to overhaul disability, healthcare, and other benefits for veterans. The package included the text of more than 60 bills, many of which had bipartisan support. Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, however, expressed concern about the proposed offsets that would have reduced benefits for sleep apnea and tinnitus. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has stated that Republicans will work further on the bill and bring it up again after the chamber’s August recess.

 

GAO Examines Unauthorized Actions in Marketplace Plans – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report last week detailing the need for stronger controls to prevent unauthorized actions by agents and brokers in the federal insurance marketplace. The report finds that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) existing safeguards do not always protect consumers from unauthorized activity by unscrupulous agents and brokers, such as fraudulent enrollments or plan switching without the consumers’ knowledge or consent. The number of consumer complaints of unauthorized enrollments and plan switches increased from 66,548 in 2023 to 299,604 in 2025. GAO recommends that CMS design and implement stronger controls to verify consumer consent to agent and broker actions on consumer enrollments, restrict access to consumer information to the agent of record, and notify consumers of agent and broker activity on their federal marketplace enrollments.

 

Darline Graham Nordone Appointed to Fill Late Brother’s Senate Seat – South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) has appointed Darline Graham Nordone, Lindsey Graham’s younger sister, to serve the remainder of the late senator’s term. She was sworn in on Tuesday afternoon. The special Republican primary to fill Graham’s seat must be held by August 11, and candidates can formally file to run between July 21 and July 28. While Darline Graham has not yet announced whether she will run for a full Senate term, she has already received the endorsement of President Donald Trump. The eventual Republican nominee will face Annie Andrews, MD, a pediatrician and professor at the University of South Carolina, who won the Democratic primary in June.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of 29 bills, including the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 9393), Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3514), and Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act (H.R. 5526); 5:00 p.m.; July 20

 

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee markup of 13 health bills, including the EMPOWER for Health Act (H.R. 4110) and Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act (S. 1874); 10:00 a.m.; July 22

 

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee markup including the Pharmacists Fight Back in Federal Employee Health Benefit Plans Act (H.R. 6610); July 22

 

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing “Advancing the Mission: Evaluating the Future of VA Research;” 4:00 p.m.; July 22

 

Senate HELP Committee executive session to consider the nominations of Sean Kaufman to be Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for the Department of Health and Human Services, Erica Schwartz to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor; 10:00 a.m.; July 23

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.9641 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to require certain facilities to permit visits from an essential caregiver during certain periods; Sponsor: Tenney, Claudia [Rep.-R-NY-24]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.9642 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide payment under part A of the Medicare program on a reasonable cost basis for anesthesia services furnished by an anesthesiologist in certain rural hospitals and critical access hospitals; Sponsor: Moolenaar, John R. [Rep.-R-MI-2]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.9644 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to promote transparency of Medicare Advantage plan information; Sponsor: Moran, Nathaniel [Rep.-R-TX-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9645 — To promote health care price transparency, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smith, Jason [Rep.-R-MO-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.9656 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require hospitals participating in Federal health care programs to report certain information related to immigration status; Sponsor: Roy, Chip [Rep.-R-TX-21]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

S.4963 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modernize payments for ambulatory surgical centers under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.4972 — A bill to amend title 11, United States Code, to provide bankruptcy protections for medically distressed debtors, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Whitehouse, Sheldon [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

H.R.9661 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to codify that the default expectation for licensure of biological products as biosimilar does not include clinical studies assessing pharmacodynamics or comparative clinical efficacy, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Langworthy, Nicholas A. [Rep.-R-NY-23]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9666 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program to use four-dimensional functional lung imaging software product to identify respiratory disorders and lung disease in veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ciscomani, Juan [Rep.-R-AZ-6]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.9669 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to establish a 5-year pilot program under which the Secretary will award grants to eligible entities for purposes of expanding forensic assertive community treatment team programs; Sponsor: Adams, Alma S. [Rep.-D-NC-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9670 —To amend title 11, United States Code, to provide bankruptcy protections for medically distressed debtors, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cohen, Steve [Rep.-D-TN-9]; Committees: House – Judiciary; Financial Services

 

H.R.9671 — To expand access for workers experiencing symptoms related to menopause and the menopause transition to reasonable accommodations that enable them to perform the essential functions of their job without risking their health or economic security; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; House Administration; Oversight and Government Reform; Judiciary

 

H.R.9672 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to make updates to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Doggett, Lloyd [Rep.-D-TX-37]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.9675 — To authorize the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, acting through the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, to award grants to States to expand access to clinically appropriate services for opioid abuse, dependence, or addiction; Sponsor: Foster, Bill [Rep.-D-IL-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9676 — To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to evaluate and report on the inpatient and outpatient treatment capacity, availability, and needs of the United States with respect to opioid-use disorders, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Foster, Bill [Rep.-D-IL-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Natural Resources

 

H.R.9682 — To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out activities to eliminate hepatitis C virus in the United States; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Natural Resources; Ways and Means

 

S.4986 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide coverage under the Medicaid program for services provided by doulas, midwives, and lactation support providers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.4987 — A bill to require the Federal Trade Commission to submit a report on foreign investment in the pharmaceutical industry of the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

 

S.4989 — A bill to improve the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of diagnosis in health care, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Van Hollen, Chris [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.4993 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a precision oncology program for cancer of the prostate at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moran, Jerry [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.4994 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for credits against tax for domestic manufacturing of critical medical supplies and drugs; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.4997 — A bill to set forth requirements for the regulation by the Food and Drug Administration of nitrous oxide products, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.5004 — A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan (or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan) to provide for cost-sharing for oral anticancer drugs on terms no less favorable than the cost-sharing provided for anticancer medications administered by a health care provider; Sponsor: Smith, Tina [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.9693 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify certain physician payments under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Joyce, John [Rep.-R-PA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.9696 — To improve the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of diagnosis in health care, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Beyer, Donald S. [Rep.-D-VA-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9699 – To require the Department of Health and Human Services to release documents, communications, and other information relating to most favored nation pricing agreements and other private or confidential drug pricing deals struck with manufacturers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Chu, Judy [Rep.-D-CA-28]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Budget

 

H.R.9702 — To establish a public health plan; Sponsor: Craig, Angie [Rep.-D-MN-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Judiciary

 

H.R.9703 — 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: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.9709 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to adjust the applicability of the income related monthly adjustment amount to premiums under part B of Medicare; Sponsor: Kean, Thomas H. [Rep.-R-NJ-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.9712 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide coverage under the Medicaid program for services provided by doulas, midwives, and lactation support providers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moore, Gwen [Rep.-D-WI-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.5012 — A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for career support for a skilled, internationally educated health care workforce; Sponsor: Kaine, Tim [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.5013 — A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to use amounts under the Veteran-Directed Care program to provide care to veterans with acquired brain injury, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.5027 — A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure fair reimbursement rates for home and community-based services furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Heinrich, Martin [Sen.-D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.5030 — A bill 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 require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage that provide benefits for sex-rejecting procedures to provide benefits for items and services to address the harms caused by sex-rejecting procedures and to restore healthy human form and functioning, to the greatest extent possible; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.1437 — Recognizing that equity, diversity, and inclusion in federally funded health research is necessary to enhance scientific excellence, and ensure equitable outcomes for patients in the United States; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9734 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish requirements for the use of artificial intelligence in prior authorization denials by Medicare Advantage organizations; Sponsor: Conaway, Herbert C. [Rep.-D-NJ-3]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9743 — 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 require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage that provide benefits for sex-rejecting procedures to provide benefits for items and services to address the harms caused by sex-rejecting procedures and to restore healthy human form and functioning, to the greatest extent practicable; Sponsor: Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.9747 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for career support for a skilled, internationally educated health care workforce; Sponsor: Krishnamoorthi, Raja [Rep.-D-IL-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9752 —To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure fair reimbursement rates for home and community-based services furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Leger Fernandez, Teresa [Rep.-D-NM-3]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.9753 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt certain retirement plan distributions used to pay qualified fertility treatment expenses from the early withdrawal tax; Sponsor: Levin, Mike [Rep.-D-CA-49]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.9754 — To direct the Secretary of Labor to require group health plans include certain information on claim denials in annual reports, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McBath, Lucy [Rep.-D-GA-6]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.9755 — To establishes a new position of Senior Biotechnology Official within the Department of State to enhance United States leadership in global biotechnology challenges by leading United States efforts in biotechnology diplomacy, security, and innovation, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McCormick, Richard [Rep.-R-GA-7]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs

 

H.R.9756 — To direct the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to provide medication assisted treatment for opioid addiction to certain women; Sponsor: McGuire, John J. [Rep.-R-VA-5]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.9759 — To provide funding for programs and activities under the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act; Sponsor: Pappas, Chris [Rep.-D-NH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Judiciary; Oversight and Government Reform; Education and Workforce; Financial Services

South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham Dies at 71 – Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) passed away unexpectedly on Saturday after a “brief and sudden illness,” according to a statement from his office. Sen. Graham had served in the Senate since 2002. He was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. Given these leadership roles, his death will impact Republican efforts to move Reconciliation 3.0 and the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process. Graham was also a senior member of the Judiciary and Enviornment and Public Works committees. It is not yet clear how his passing will affect the Senate schedule this week.  No funeral plans have been announced, and Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has not announced any changes to the Senate floor schedule.

 

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) will appoint someone to serve out the remainder of Graham’s term, which ends on January 3, 2027. The special Republican primary to fill Graham’s seat must be held by August 11, and candidates can formally file to run between July 21 to July 28. The Republican nominee will face against Annie Andrews, MD a pediatrician and professor at the University of South Carolina, who won the Democratic primary in June.

 

McConnell Issues Statement on Fall, Hospitalization — After weeks of speculation, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) released a statement on Sunday explaining that he suffered a fall last month and is also recovering from a mild case of pneumonia. He expects to be out at least a little while longer while he recovers. In McConnell’s absence, Senate Republicans have been limited in their ability to advance appropriations bills.

 

Lawmakers Weigh In on OMB Grantmaking Rule – Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee has sent a letter asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to withdraw certain provisions of its Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance proposed rule. She specifically expresses concern about portions of the regulation that would potentially harm small and rural communities and scientific and biomedical research. Collins argues that authorizing mid-award termination of federal awards, with limited ability to appeal, would inject uncertainty into the award process and make these awards more costly. She also asserts that adding an additional review for awards “that have already been selected through a scientific, merit-based peer review process would undermine the objective that the federal government fund scientific and biomedical research projects based on scientific merit and value, rather than political ideology.” The letter further outlines how the proposed rule would add additional administrative burdens on recipients and sub-recipients of federal financial assistance awards, and highlights how the proposed rule “fails to address how OMB and agencies would ensure that consideration of the President’s policy priorities does not supersede congressional intent for the administration of these awards.” In the letter, Sen. Collins asks OMB to extend the comment period for the proposed rule by no less than 90 days.

 

Democrats have also weighed in on the regulation, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) leading the entire Senate Democratic caucus in demanding that the rule be immediately rescinded. Their letter warns that the proposal exceeds OMB’s statutory authority, undermines Congress’s constitutional power of the purse, and would allow the President to weaponize federal grants for political purposes. “OMB’s proposal unlawfully seeks to substitute Congress’s role in directing federal spending with the President’s preferred priorities, and in doing so, makes it harder for every community and organization in the United States to fairly access federal funding,” the letter argues.

 

More than 275,000 comments have been submitted on the proposed rule to date. Comments are due on or before July 13, 2026.

 

Grassley Requests Probe into Children’s Transplant Waiting List – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate organ transplant wait times for pediatric patients. Sen. Grassley’s letter outlines the specific challenges related to organ allocation and transplantation for children, highlighting that 2,000 patients under the age of 18 remain on the national waiting list for organ transplants. He asks that GAO also review the mortality rate for children on the waitlist awaiting organ transplants and any actions the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network have taken to increase the supply of organs available for pediatric patients .

 

HHS Delays USPSTF Meeting Again – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has again delayed a scheduled meeting of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). USPSTF is responsible for determining which preventive medical services are recommended and therefore must be fully covered by insurers, as established by the Affordable Care Act. The panel, which typically meets three times a year, has not met in person since March 2025. An HHS spokesperson clarified that the decision to postpone the latest meeting until late August was in response to an “unprecedented” number of nominations to serve on the task force. USPSTF currently has just eight out of 16 sitting members; HHS has not appointed replacements for the five members who saw their terms expire at the beginning of this year. A solicitation for nominations to serve on USPSTF was issued in April with a deadline for submissions of May 23.

    

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Education and Workforce Committee hearing “Training Activists, Not Physicians: The Impact of DEI on Medical Schools;” 10:15 a.m.; July 14

 

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “From Genes to Machines: the Patent Eligibility Debate;” 10:15 a.m.; July 14

 

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to consider the nominations of Sean Kaufman to be Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for the Department of Health and Human Services and Erica Schwartz to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 10:00 a.m.; July 15

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing “Maintaining America’s Leadership in Biomedical Innovation: FDA’s Role in Advancing U.S. Drug Development;” 10:15 a.m.; July 15

Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel hearing to receive testimony on the Tricare Pharmacy Program;  2:30 p.m.; July 15

Senate Aging Committee hearing “Behind the Label: Foreign Ownership and Control in America’s Drug Supply Chain;” 3:30 p.m.; July 15

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.9578 — To require AI-generated content is labeled as AI-generated with the metadata of the output or by other technological means, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Gottheimer, Josh [Rep.-D-NJ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9599 – To strengthen the 340B drug discount program; Sponsor: Peters, Scott H. [Rep.-D-CA-50]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Workforce

 

H.R.9605 — To ensure the Department of Health and Human Services will manage accreditation for foreign medical schools, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Grothman, Glenn [Rep.-R-WI-6]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.9623 — To repeal the Medicaid-related portions of An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.9629 — To require an assessment of the environmental and public health effects of data centers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D-OH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9632 —To better coordinate Federal efforts to utilize advance technologies, such as AI, to improve diagnoses, treatments, cures, and prevention strategies for pediatric cancer, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McCaul, Michael T. [Rep.-R-TX-10]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9635 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish special rules to provide for continued review of human drug and device submissions during a lapse of appropriations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mullin, Kevin [Rep.-D-CA-15]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

House Passes Bill to Reduce ACO Reporting Burden – The House of Representatives passed the Health Care Efficiency through Flexibility Act (H.R. 5347) by voice vote on Monday. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), would permit a wider variety of quality measure reporting methods for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) through 2029, including the currently in-place electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs). The bill also clarifies data completeness requirements and creates a digital quality measure pilot program.

 

Ways and Means Advances Hospital Transparency Legislation – The House Ways and Means Committee advanced the Tax-Exempt Hospital Transparency Act (H.R. 9504) on Wednesday. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (R-N.C.), would require tax exempt hospitals to report more details on income, charity care expenditures, advertising, community benefits, and quality improvement. Consideration of the bill by the Committee was previously delayed due to pushback from the hospital industry.

 

HELP Expected to Consider CDC Director, Surgeon General Nominees This Month – The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is expected to hold confirmation hearings for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director nominee Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH and surgeon general nominee Nicole Saphier, MD sometime this month, according to a committee spokesperson. HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD has expressed support for both nominees, who are considered more conventional picks than some of the Trump administration’s prior candidates for the positions. Dr. Schwartz’s required ethics and financial disclosure paperwork have already been posted by the Office of Government Ethics, while Dr. Saphier’s are not yet available.

 

China Panel Questions Companies Conducting Clinical Trials in China – The House Select Committee on China has written to Pfizer, AbbVie, Merck, Eli Lilly, and Bristol Meyers Squibb about clinical trials being conducted in China. Chairman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) requests information on company standards for the conduct of such clinical trials, data on the number of trials conducted in China, details on the due diligence process for protecting IP and sensitive data, and a list of all licensing, equity, or joint venture deals with Chinese biotechnology companies. Responses are requested by July 17.

 

Dept. of Education Expands List of Professional Degrees – The Department of Education has announced a new list of degrees that qualify as professional degrees under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s (OBBBA) new caps on borrowing limits for graduate and professional degree programs. The original rule, which was recently blocked by a federal judge for violating the Administrative Procedure Act, included just 11 professional degrees, excluding certain graduate level clinical programs – such as nursing, physician assistant, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. The new definition includes 29 fields. The administration has clarified that the expanded list is intended only to facilitate implementation of the Court’s order, but may change as litigation proceeds. Under the OBBBA caps, students pursuing professional degrees can borrow up to $50,000 a year and $200,000 total, while those in graduate programs can borrow up to $20,500 annually and $100,000 total. The new caps went into effect on July 1.

 

New ACIP Charter – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently posted a new charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The document broadens the qualifications for individuals to serve on the panel, stating that members should “represent a balanced range of scientific, clinical, and public health expertise relevant to the Committee’s mission.” It would also delegate management and support of ACIP from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases to the CDC Office of the Chief of Staff and the CDC director, as well as modify the composition of the committee’s liaison membership. A federal judge recently blocked U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attempt to reconstitute ACIP with his own membership selections. Some critics have characterized the new charter as an attempt to sidestep the court ruling.

 

DeGette Defeated in CO Primary – Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) was defeated in the Colorado Democratic primary for the state’s 1^st congressional district last week. Rep. DeGette was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1996. She currently serves as ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and co-chair of the House Diabetes Caucus. DeGette was an original author of the 2016 landmark law the 21^st Century Cures Act, and has been a champion of progressive health causes – supporting Medicare for All and access to abortion – during her time in Congress. She conceded the race to democratic socialist Melat Kiros, a lawyer.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel hearing to receive testimony on the Tricare Pharmacy Program; 2:30 p.m.; July 15

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.9533 — To amend the VA MISSION Act of 2018 to require the publication of certain information regarding staffing and vacancies in the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Vindman, Eugene Simon [Rep.-D-VA-7]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.9532 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to prohibit group health plan payment clawbacks in certain circumstances. Sponsor: Torres, Ritchie [Rep.-D-NY-15]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9531 — To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a report on testing for helicobacter pylori for members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Smith, Christopher H. [Rep.-R-NJ-4]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.9525 — To amend title 18, United States Code, to limit the ability to assess a fee for health care services for prisoners, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Norton, Eleanor Holmes [Del.-D-DC-At Large]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.9524 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and to provide for coordination between the Secretaries in the administration of the Veterans Community Care Program and certain health plans under the Medicare program, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9518 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow contributions to a health savings account when a spouse has a health flexible spending account. Sponsor: LaHood, Darin [Rep.-R-IL-16]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.9515 — To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the use of multi-factor authentication to access certain information through healthcare.gov. Sponsor: Grothman, Glenn [Rep.-R-WI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9513 — To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to support the integration of school-based health services into community schools, and for other purposes. Sponsor: García, Jesús G. “Chuy” [Rep.-D-IL-4]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9510 — To direct the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health to make publicly available all national policies of the Veterans Health Administration. Sponsor: Dexter, Maxine [Rep.-D-OR-3]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.9509 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act with respect to the coverage of kidney disease education services under Medicare and private health insurance. Sponsor: DelBene, Suzan K. [Rep.-D-WA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.9504 — Tax Exempt Hospital Transparency Act – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish additional reporting requirements for hospital organizations, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.9502 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to avoid duplicative, improper, or erroneous billings or payments for hospital care and medical services furnished under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Sponsor: Bresnahan, Robert P. [Rep.-R-PA-8]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.1397 — Expressing support for the designation of June 28, 2026, as “Community is Stronger than Cancer Day”. Sponsor: Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [Rep.-D-FL-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.1396 — Expressing support for the designation of the month of June 2026 as “National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month” and June 27, 2026, as “National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day”. Sponsor: Peters, Scott H. [Rep.-D-CA-50]; Committees: House – Armed Services; Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.9561 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on the feasibility of developing an accurate and reliable standardized test for detecting tuberculosis in tissue from a human cadaver, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Moolenaar, John R. [Rep.-R-MI-2] ; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.9559 — To accelerate the development of, and access to, psychedelic drugs that could save lives and reverse the crisis of serious mental illness in the United States, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Luttrell, Morgan [Rep.-R-TX-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.9551 — To provide for civil monetary penalties for violations of mental health parity requirements. Sponsor: Kean, Thomas H. [Rep.-R-NJ-7]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce

 

H.R.9547 — To direct the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on emerging investigational treatment options for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, members of the Armed Forces, and members transitioning to civilian life, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Hamadeh, Abraham J. [Rep.-R-AZ-8]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.9544 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure appropriate payments under Medicare Advantage, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Doggett, Lloyd [Rep.-D-TX-37]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.9542 — To repeal the Medicaid-related portions of An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14. Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.9538 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish coverage for certain residential substance use disorder services under the Medicare program. Sponsor: Underwood, Lauren [Rep.-D-IL-14]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.Res.1404 — Recognizing the 250th Anniversary of the United States and reaffirming the importance of prevention, public health, and access to healthcare. Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.1403 — Expressing the sense of Congress that Medicaid is an important lifeline for the health care of millions of Americans. Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.1402 — Supporting the goals and ideals of Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Sponsor: Barragán, Nanette Diaz [Rep.-D-CA-44]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce