{"id":1973,"date":"2025-12-22T13:32:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T13:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/?p=1973"},"modified":"2025-12-22T13:34:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T13:34:06","slug":"congress-adjourns-for-the-year-letting-enhanced-subsidies-expire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/22\/congress-adjourns-for-the-year-letting-enhanced-subsidies-expire\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress Adjourns for the Year, Letting Enhanced Subsidies Expire"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congress Adjourns for the Year, Letting Enhanced Subsidies Expire \u2013 <\/strong>Lawmakers have adjourned for the holiday recess without a response to the forthcoming expiration of the Affordable Care Act\u2019s (ACA) enhanced advanced premium tax credits and the spike in health insurance premiums that is expected when the subsidies expire at the end of this year. The House of Representatives passed the GOP\u2019s Lower Health Care Premiums for All Act on Wednesday in a 216-211 vote. The bill appropriates money for cost sharing reductions and codifies and expands access to association health plans, CHOICE arrangements, and stop-loss insurance. It also includes a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) transparency provision that would require PBMs to provide employers with detailed data on prescription drug spending, rebates, spread pricing, and formulary decisions. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the package would result in $35.6 billion in savings and 100,000 fewer people per year having health insurance through 2035.\u00a0The package excluded an extension of the expiring ACA subsidies, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) rejected a push from moderate, swing-district members of his caucus to hold a floor vote on an extension. The situation resulted in four House Republicans \u2013 Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Rob Bresnahan (Pa.), and Ryan Mackenzie (Pa.) – signing a discharge petition led by House Democratic leadership to force a January vote on a clean, three-year extension of the enhanced tax credits. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene for the second session of the 119th<\/sup> Congress on January 5, while the House is set to return the following day. The deadline to sign up for coverage starting in January via the ACA marketplace has already ended, while January 15 is the final day of the open enrollment period.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Senate Blocks Disapproval Resolution Re: Richardson Waiver Rescission \u2013 <\/strong>The Senate blocked a measure (S.J.Res.82) last week that would have repealed a decision from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to waive public comment periods on certain agency rulemakings. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) joined Democrats in support of the measure, which was defeated in a 50-50 vote. The HHS policy in question rescinded the Richardson Waiver, thus allowing the Department to pursue certain regulatory changes, including those relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts, without a public comment period.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trump Personnel Confirmations \u2013 <\/strong>The Senate confirmed Thomas Bell to serve as inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a 53-43 party line vote on Thursday. \u00a0Bell most recently worked as general counsel for Republicans in the House of Representatives. He also served as chief counsel and staff director of the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives, formed in 2015 to investigate alleged fetal tissue sales from groups like Planned Parenthood. The Senate also confirmed John Bartrum to lead the Veterans Health Administration. Bartrum is a former Air Force major general who most recently served as a senior adviser to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

House Passes Bills Targeting Gender Affirming Care \u2013 <\/strong>The House of Representatives passed legislation (H.R. 498) last week that would prohibit the use of federal Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for individuals under 18 years old. The bill passed in a 215-201 vote. The chamber also passed legislation (H.R. 3492) that would criminalize the provision of gender affirming care for youth in a 216-211 vote.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

GOP Lawmakers Push Back Against Marijuana Executive Order \u2013 <\/strong>Twenty-two Republican senators have written<\/a> to the Trump administration in response to the President\u2019s executive order to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. The lawmakers express opposition to the order \u2013 which will effectively ease restrictions around marijuana research and provide tax breaks to cannabis companies \u2013 pointing to the potential for the drug to worsen mental illnesses, harm children whose mothers use it while pregnant, and impact workers\u2019 cognitive functioning. \u201cRescheduling marijuana to a Schedule III drug will undermine your strong efforts to Make America Great Again and to usher in America\u2019s next economic Golden Age,\u201d the lawmakers state. A coalition of House Republicans sent a similar letter<\/a>, stressing that marijuana rescheduling is not required to advance legitimate medical research.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rep. Salinas Urges NIH to Maintain Funding for SWAN<\/strong> \u2013 Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.) led a letter<\/a> to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) last week urging NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD to maintain funding for the Study of Women\u2019s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). The letter was signed by 33 other members of the House of Representatives.\u00a0 The longitudinal SWAN examines women\u2019s health during midlife and menopause. \u00a0Rep. Salinas and her colleagues argue that additional research is still needed to better understand the long-term impacts of menopause on heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, dementia, and Alzheimer\u2019s disease; the effectiveness and safety of treatment options; the need for individualized care approaches; educational gaps among patients and health care providers; potential health impacts of the perimenopausal period; and strategies to promote prevention and healthy aging through lifestyle interventions. \u201cMaintaining funding for SWAN will ensure continued progress in these critical areas and strengthen our understanding of women\u2019s health for generations to come. We strongly urge you to prioritize continued funding for SWAN,\u201d the letter states.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Recently Announced Congressional Retirements \u2013 <\/strong>Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) announced on Friday that she will not seek reelection to the Senate next year. Sen. Lummis has served in the Senate since 2021, and currently sits on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) announced that she is suspending her bid for governor of New York and will also be retiring from Congress. Rep. Stefanik has represented New York\u2019s 21st<\/sup> congressional district since 2015. She currently serves on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that he will not seek reelection to the House of Representatives next year. Rep. Newhouse serves on the House Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture, and he is one of two remaining House Republicans who previously voted to impeach President Trump.<\/p>\n

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ACCV Vaccine Panel to Meet this Month<\/strong> \u2013 The Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) has issued notice that it will convene on December 29. The panel is responsible for recommending changes to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. While the meeting agenda has not been published, no votes are expected to take place; an administration spokesperson said that no additional information was available beyond what was contained in the Federal Register notice<\/a>. While the Commission is supposed to meet four times a year, it has not convened since July 2024. Its January 2025 scheduled meeting was postponed indefinitely.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recently Introduced Health Legislation<\/strong><\/p>\n

H.R.6685 \u2014 To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish an exception for multiemployer plan participants to the requirements for automatic enrollment; Sponsor: Finstad, Brad [Rep.-R-MN-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6690 \u2014 To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to increase the payment limit under Medicaid for the Northern Mariana Islands; Sponsor: King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [Del.-R-MP-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3473 \u2014 A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to voluntarily adopt advance directives guiding the medical care they receive; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3474 \u2014 A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the regulation of cannabis and cannabinoid products, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3480 \u2014\u00a0 A bill to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from implementing the WISeR model under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Murray, Patty [Sen.-D-WA]; Committees: Senate – Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6703 \u2014\u00a0Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act\u00a0\u2013 Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.Res.546 \u2014 A resolution designating November 2025 as “National Hospice and Palliative Care Month”; Sponsor: Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3486 \u2014 A bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to States on strategies under Medicaid and CHIP to increase mental health and substance use disorder care provider education, training, recruitment, and retention; Sponsor: Daines, Steve [Sen.-R-MT]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3491 \u2014\u00a0A bill to ensure that claims for benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act are processed in a fair and timely manner, to better protect miners from pneumoconiosis (commonly known as “black lung disease”), and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kaine, Tim [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3492 \u2014\u00a0A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to require skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities for the intellectually disabled, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities to permit essential caregivers access during any period in which regular visitation is restricted; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3505 \u2014 A bill to amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to ease the benefits process for survivors of miners whose deaths were due to pneumoconiosis; Sponsor: Warner, Mark R. [Sen.-D-VA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3510 \u2014 A bill to improve the inspections of drug establishments engaged in the manufacture, preparation, propagation, or processing of biosimilar biological products conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Budd, Ted [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3512 \u2014\u00a0A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the elimination of tax on certain firearms under the National Firearms Act and to deposit the savings into the Medicare part A trust fund; Sponsor: Alsobrooks, Angela D. [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3515\u00a0\u2014 A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to jointly select a joint uniform credentialing and privileging system for medical providers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blackburn, Marsha [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6708 \u2014 To codify certain rules related to health reimbursement arrangements and other account-based group health plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bean, Aaron [Rep.-R-FL-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6718 \u2014 To amend the definition of professional degree in the Higher Education Act of 1965; Sponsor: Lawler, Michael [Rep.-R-NY-17]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6721 \u2014 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to voluntarily adopt advance directives guiding the medical care they receive; Sponsor: Murphy, Gregory F. [Rep.-R-NC-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6727 \u2014 To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental diseases, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Torres, Ritchie [Rep.-D-NY-15]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6728 \u2014 To amend title XX of the Social Security Act to provide grants to States to support linkages to legal services and medical legal partnerships; Sponsor: Vindman, Eugene Simon [Rep.-D-VA-7]; Committees: House – Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6735 \u2014\u00a0To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for outreach and education to Medicare beneficiaries to simplify access to information for family caregivers through 1-800-MEDICARE, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carey, Mike [Rep.-R-OH-15]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6739 \u2014 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the definition of professional degree; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6743 \u2014To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the elimination of tax on certain firearms under the National Firearms Act and to deposit the savings into the Medicare part A trust fund; Sponsor: Frost, Maxwell [Rep.-D-FL-10]; Committees: House – Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6756 \u2014\u00a0To ensure that claims for benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act are processed in a fair and timely manner, to better protect miners from pneumoconiosis (commonly known as “black lung disease”), and for other purposes; Sponsor: McGarvey, Morgan [Rep.-D-KY-3]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6757 \u2014\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>To amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to ease the benefits process for survivors of miners whose deaths were due to pneumoconiosis; Sponsor: McGarvey, Morgan [Rep.-D-KY-3]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6760 \u2014\u00a0To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to facilitate the enrollment of individuals in qualified health plans; Sponsor: Pappas, Chris [Rep.-D-NH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6765 \u2014 To prioritize and fund life-affirming maternal and child health initiatives globally by equipping local health providers and community health workers to reduce the leading causes of maternal and child mortality, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smith, Christopher H. [Rep.-R-NJ-4]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6766 \u2014 To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to require skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities for the intellectually disabled, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities to permit essential caregivers access during any period in which regular visitation is restricted; Sponsor: Tenney, Claudia [Rep.-R-NY-24]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6767 \u2014\u00a0To amend the Public Health Service Act to include Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) individuals in the statutory definition of a “racial and ethnic minority group”, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive study of MENA population health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tlaib, Rashida [Rep.-D-MI-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.Res.560 \u2014 A resolution recognizing that mercury pollution can cause severe health problems, including permanent brain damage, kidney damage, and birth defects; Sponsor: Whitehouse, Sheldon [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Environment and Public Works<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.Res.561 \u2014 A resolution recognizing that particulate matter pollution can cause heart attacks, asthma, strokes, and premature death; Sponsor: Whitehouse, Sheldon [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Environment and Public Works<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.Res.562 \u2014 A resolution recognizing that ozone pollution can cause lung disease, asthma attacks, cardiovascular problems, and reproductive issues; Sponsor: Whitehouse, Sheldon [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Environment and Public Works<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.Res.566 \u2014 A resolution recognizing that care provided by employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs is essential for meeting the health care needs of veterans of the United States; Sponsor: Blumenthal, Richard [Sen.-D-CT]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3521 \u2014 A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include peer support services at certain facilities under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3522 \u2014\u00a0A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require that State Medicaid programs provide at least one formulation of each type of medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder without prior authorization or limitations on dosage, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3529 \u2014\u00a0A bill to protect clean air and public health by expanding fenceline and ambient air monitoring and access to air quality information for communities affected by air pollution, to require hazardous air pollutant monitoring at the fenceline of facilities whose emissions are linked to local health threats, to ensure the Environmental Protection Agency promulgates rules that require hazardous air pollutant data measurement and electronic submission at fencelines and stacks of industrial source categories, to expand and strengthen the national ambient air quality monitoring network, to deploy air quality systems in communities affected by air pollution, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Sen.-D-DE]; Committees: Senate – Environment and Public Works<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3532 \u2014\u00a0A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to streamline the certification process for State Veterans Homes by allowing certain facilities certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be deemed in compliance with specified Medicare and Medicaid requirements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Crapo, Mike [Sen.-R-ID]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3547 \u2014\u00a0 A bill to extend protections to part-time workers in the areas of family and medical leave and to ensure equitable treatment in the workplace; Sponsor: Warren, Elizabeth [Sen.-D-MA];<\/p>\n

Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3549 \u2014 A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to ensure that pharmacy benefit managers are considered fiduciaries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Marshall, Roger [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3551 \u2014 A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to provide for coverage of certain drugs used in the treatment or management of a rare disease or condition, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tillis, Thomas [Sen.-R-NC]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3557 \u2014\u00a0A bill to prohibit the use of Federal funds to implement the Executive order entitled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence”; Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and Transportation<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.Res.955 \u2014 Recognizing the importance of a continued commitment to ending pediatric HIV\/AIDS worldwide; Sponsor: McClellan, Jennifer L. [Rep.-D-VA-4]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs; Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6782 \u2014To protect clean air and public health by expanding fenceline and ambient air monitoring and access to air quality information for communities affected by air pollution, to require hazardous air pollutant monitoring at the fenceline of facilities whose emissions are linked to local health threats, to ensure the Environmental Protection Agency promulgates rules that require hazardous air pollutant data measurement and electronic submission at fencelines and stacks of industrial source categories, to expand and strengthen the national ambient air quality monitoring network, to deploy air quality systems in communities affected by air pollution, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Troy A. [Rep.-D-LA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6789 \u2014\u00a0To amend title 18, United States Code, to require the Bureau of Prisons to ensure the availability of opioid antagonists at Federal correctional facilities; Sponsor: Foushee, Valerie P. [Rep.-D-NC-4]; Committees: House \u2013 Judiciary<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6794 \u2014 To require directors of medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit annual fact sheets to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the status of such facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hamadeh, Abraham J. [Rep.-R-AZ-8]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6796 \u2014\u00a0To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a digital system for the submission of complaints relating to access issues at military medical treatment facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Horsford, Steven [Rep.-D-NV-4]; Committees: House – Armed Services<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6797 \u2014\u00a0To 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<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6799 \u2014 To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the waiting periods for disability insurance benefits and Medicare coverage for individuals with young-onset Alzheimer’s, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kim, Young [Rep.-R-CA-40]; Committees: House – Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6801 \u2014\u00a0To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require hospitals to ask the citizenship status of patients as a condition of participation in the Medicare program and to require reports on the cost of furnishing hospital services to noncitizens; Sponsor: Mace, Nancy [Rep.-R-SC-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6804 \u2014\u00a0To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to strengthen Medicare rural hospital flexibility program grants; Sponsor: Miller, Carol D. [Rep.-R-WV-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6817 \u2014\u00a0To establish a home-based telemental health care grant program for purposes of increasing mental health and substance use services in rural medically underserved populations and for individuals in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations; Sponsor: Salinas, Andrea [Rep.-D-OR-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6818 \u2014 To extend protections to part-time workers in the areas of family and medical leave and to ensure equitable treatment in the workplace; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce; House Administration; Oversight and Government Reform; Judiciary<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6823 \u2014\u00a0To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to facilitate the development of certain traumatic brain injury diagnostics for members of the Armed Forces; Sponsor: Trahan, Lori [Rep.-D-MA-3]; Committees: House – Armed Services<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.Res.570 \u2014 A resolution designating November 2025 as “National Lung Cancer Awareness Month” and expressing support for early detection and treatment of lung cancer; Sponsor: Smith, Tina [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Judiciary<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3560 \u2014\u00a0A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage of contraceptive items and services at no cost-sharing under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Finance<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3564 \u2014 A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, to take certain steps to increase clinical trial diversity, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kim, Andy [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S.3576 \u2014 A bill 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: Hickenlooper, John W. [Sen.-D-CO]; Committees: Senate \u2013 Judiciary<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.Res.959 \u2014 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that illicit fentanyl-related substances are a weapon of mass destruction and should be classified as such, and recognizing President Trump’s efforts to mitigate illicit narcotics from entering the United States through such actions as signing an Executive Order “Designating Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction” and declaring the crisis caused by the rise of fentanyl a national health emergency; Sponsor: Dunn, Neal P. [Rep.-R-FL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.Res.960 \u2014 Expressing support for the designation of November 2025 as “National Lung Cancer Awareness Month” and expressing support for early detection and treatment of lung cancer; Sponsor: Boyle, Brendan F. [Rep.-D-PA-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6835 \u2014 To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to offer annual preventative health evaluations to veterans with a spinal cord injury or disorder and increase access to assistive technologies, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bergman, Jack [Rep.-R-MI-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6837 \u2014 To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to ensure that pharmacy benefit managers are considered fiduciaries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Auchincloss, Jake [Rep.-D-MA-4]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6839 \u2014 To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for removing transportation barriers to accessing eligible vaccines for individuals from low-income communities, minority communities, or other communities in which transportation poses a barrier to health care access, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Barrag\u00e1n, Nanette Diaz [Rep.-D-CA-44]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6841 \u2014\u00a0To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include peer support services at certain facilities under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Chu, Judy [Rep.-D-CA-28]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6848 \u2014 To amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the extent to which copayments may be required for veterans receiving Whole Health well-being services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Deluzio, Christopher R. [Rep.-D-PA-17]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6852 \u2014 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to adjust payment for skin substitute products under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Evans, Gabe [Rep.-R-CO-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6858 \u2014\u00a0To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a review of the deaths of certain veterans who died by suicide, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Garbarino, Andrew R. [Rep.-R-NY-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6862 \u2014 To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to delay, until July 1, 2030, the termination of authority to award certain Federal Direct PLUS loans and the implementation of limits on certain loans for graduate and professional students enrolled at institutions with certain public health designations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Harder, Josh [Rep.-D-CA-9]; Committees: House – Education and Workforce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6863 \u2014 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve transparency with respect to the suspension of Medicare payments pending an investigation into a credible allegation of fraud; Sponsor: Harder, Josh [Rep.-D-CA-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6867 \u2014 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, to take certain steps to increase clinical trial diversity, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kelly, Robin L. [Rep.-D-IL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6868 \u2014 To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to apply the least burdensome appropriate means for supporting certain administrative order requests with respect to over-the-counter monograph drugs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Landsman, Greg [Rep.-D-OH-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6876 \u2014\u00a0To require the imposition of visa sanctions with respect to each foreign person the President determines has performed or otherwise facilitated chemical or surgical mutilations of United States minors, and for other purposes; Sponsor: McDowell, Addison P. [Rep.-R-NC-6]; Committees: House \u2013 Judiciary<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6881 \u2014 To direct the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate certain payment increases under HHS programs; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and Workforce; Ways and Means; Natural Resources<\/p>\n

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H.R.6885 \u2014 To amend title 38, United States Code, to exempt reimbursements of certain medical expenses and other payments related to accident, theft, loss, or casualty loss from determinations of annual income with respect to pensions for veterans and surviving spouses and children of veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Moskowitz, Jared [Rep.-D-FL-23]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs<\/p>\n

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H.R.6894 \u2014 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand and expedite access to cardiac rehabilitation programs and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sewell, Terri A. [Rep.-D-AL-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means<\/p>\n

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H.R.6897 \u2014\u00a0To advance research, promote awareness and education, and improve health care, with respect to thyroid disease, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Stevens, Haley M. [Rep.-D-MI-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

H.R.6902 \u2014 To promote public service announcement campaigns targeted at youth substance use prevention, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tran, Derek [Rep.-D-CA-45]; Committees: House \u2013 Judiciary<\/p>\n

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H.R.6904 \u2014 To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to rehabilitation programs for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Van Orden, Derrick [Rep.-R-WI-3]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs<\/p>\n

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H.R.6906 \u2014 To require the Attorney General and the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress reports on the drug addiction treatment and recovery industry; Sponsor: Vindman, Eugene Simon [Rep.-D-VA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congress Adjourns for the Year, Letting Enhanced Subsidies Expire \u2013 Lawmakers have adjourned for the holiday recess without a response to the forthcoming expiration of the Affordable Care Act\u2019s (ACA) enhanced advanced premium tax credits and the spike in health insurance premiums that is expected when the subsidies expire at the end of this year. … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Congress Adjourns for the Year, Letting Enhanced Subsidies Expire”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[13,15],"issue":[],"class_list":["post-1973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-policy-briefing","tag-legislative-updates","tag-regulatory-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1973"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1977,"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1973\/revisions\/1977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1973"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=1973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}