POLICY BRIEFINGS

Biden Tests Positive in Rebound Case of COVID-19


President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again on Saturday. Such rebound cases of the virus are sometimes seen in individuals who complete a course of the antiviral drug Paxlovid. Biden is not experiencing any symptoms but will resume isolation at the White House. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who test positive again after receiving Paxlovid treatment isolate for at least five days.


In Absence of UFA Deal, Pink Slips Expected Early Sept.


The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin sending layoff warnings by early September if Congress has not reached an agreement to reauthorize the agency’s medical product user fees. Commissioner Robert Califf stated at an event last week that the FDA will not have the money to pay employees and the agency’s public health mission will be put at risk if reauthorizing legislation is not passed before the current user fee agreements expire on September 30. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-N.C.) recently introduced his own clean version of the reauthorization legislation that does not include provisions to overhaul the accelerated approval pathway or regulation of cosmetics, dietary supplements, and laboratory-developed tests – measures that are a part of the version of the bill (S. 4348) advanced by the Senate HELP Committee in June. He has stated that he is in ongoing discussions with other congressional leaders on a potential compromise.


Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups


Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight hearing “Revisiting Gain of Function Research: What the Pandemic Taught Us and Where Do We Go from Here;” 2:30 p.m.; August 3

Senate Finance Committee hearing “A System in Need of Repair: Addressing Organizational Failures of the U.S.’s Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network;” 2:30 p.m.; August 3


Recently Introduced Health Legislation


S.Res.718 — A resolution designating the week of July 19 through July 25, 2022, as “Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week” and supporting the goal of raising awareness and understanding around maternal mental health conditions as they affect Black individuals; Sponsor: Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

S.4605 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure stability in payments to home health agencies under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

S.4612 — A bill to protect a person’s ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception, and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception; Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

S.4616 — 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 strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits; Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.4618 — A bill to improve access to opioid use disorder treatment services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]; Committees: Senate – Finance

H.Res.1258 — Of inquiry directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide certain documentation to the House of Representatives relating to the calculation of certain expenditure limitations applicable to Federal funding of the Medicaid program in Puerto Rico; Sponsor: Rep. Dunn, Neal P. [R-FL-2]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.Res.1263 — Of inquiry directing the President to provide certain documents in the President’s possession to the House of Representatives relating to COVID-19 funding; Sponsor: Rep. Bucshon, Larry [R-IN-8]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.Res.1267 — Of inquiry directing the President to provide certain documents in the President’s possession to the House of Representatives relating to the oversight of the Wuhan Institute of Virology laboratory by the Director of the National Institutes of Health; Sponsor: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.Res.1268 — Of inquiry directing the President to provide certain documents in the President’s possession to the House of Representatives relating to actions taken by the Secretary of Health and Human Services related to the COVID-19 pandemic response; Sponsor: Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.Res.1275 — Of inquiry directing the President to provide certain documents in the President’s possession to the House of Representatives relating to communications by staff of the White House regarding the implications of revoking the public health orders commonly referred to as “title 42”; Sponsor: Rep. Lesko, Debbie [R-AZ-8]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.Res.1284 — Of inquiry directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide certain documentation to the House of Representatives relating to the negotiation of prices for prescription drugs under the Medicare prescription drug program; Sponsor: Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.Res.1285 — Requesting the President to transmit certain information to the House of Representatives relating to a waiver of intellectual property commitments under the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights; Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3]; Committees: House - Ways and Means

H.Res.1286 — Expressing the sentiment of Congress that the Department of Health and Human Services should declare the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency; Sponsor: Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.8487 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish requirements with respect to the use of prior authorization under Medicare Advantage plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1]; Committees: House - Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.8489 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend certain telehealth services and requirements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-6]; Committees: House - Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.8491 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand eligible practitioners to furnish telehealth services; Sponsor: Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.8492 — To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States to provide safety measures to social workers, health workers, and human services professionals performing services placing such individuals in high- risk and potentially dangerous situations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]; Committees: House - Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce

H.R.8493 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove geographic requirements and expand originating sites for telehealth services; Sponsor: Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.8497 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth and telecommunications technology; Sponsor: Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.8501 — To prohibit abortion sanctuary States from receiving funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Lamborn, Doug [R-CO-5]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Education and Labor; Natural Resources; Ways and Means

H.R.8505 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit the use of telehealth for purposes of recertification of eligibility for hospice care; Sponsor: Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-3]; Committees: House - Ways and Means

H.R.8506 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend telehealth services for federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics; Sponsor: Rep. Murphy, Gregory [R-NC-3]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.8508 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to support rural residency training funding that is equitable for all States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. O’Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1]; Committees: House - Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

H.R.8512 — 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 strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits; Sponsor: Rep. Porter, Katie [D-CA-45]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Education and Labor; Ways and Means; Oversight and Reform



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BRIEFING ARCHIVE

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