Author: Thornrun

House lawmakers will reconvene this afternoon to consider a bipartisan package of bills that seek to improve behavioral health treatment and increase access to substance use disorder (SUD) care. The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well Being Act (H.R. 7666; TRP analysis) includes several policies that would, among other things: (1) reauthorize several grant programs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); (2) provide support for the new 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline launching next month; and (3) promote and support behavioral health integration and workforce needs. While the legislation is expected to pass with bipartisan support next week, timing in the Senate is unclear due to competing legislative priorities.

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (6/21)”

Capitol Hill Update

A bipartisan group of senators reached an agreement over the weekend on a policy framework that seeks to bolster gun safety and improve access to mental health resources. While legislative text was absent from the Senate group’s announcement, proposed policies within the agreement include:

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (6/13)”

Capitol Hill Update

Senate Democrats are reviving their push to clinch a filibuster-proof legislative package for various elements of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda. According to intel from Capitol Hill, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has been recently engaged in talks with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) over a package of climate, energy, health, and deficit reduction provisions that could potentially clear the upper chamber by a party-line vote ahead of November’s midterm election. Notable policies that have been floated in these discussions include: (1) clean energy tax credits; (2) extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits; (3) prescription drug pricing policies contained in the House-passed Build Back Better (BBB) Act (H.R. 5376); and (4) additional tax provisions, including money for IRS enforcement and a 15 percent domestic minimum rate. In total, this latest BBB iteration could include close to $800 billion in new spending, coupled with $1.4 trillion in funding offsets.

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (5/31)”

Capitol Hill Update

The Senate will reconvene for legislative business on Tuesday to close out the May work period. Absent a breakthrough deal on COVID-related funding packages for health care and small businesses, it is likely that senators will primarily focus on confirming pending Biden administration nominees for the balance of the week. The Small Business COVID Relief Act (S. 4008) — which would provide roughly $48 billion toward additional relief aid for restaurants and other small business industries that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic — failed to meet the 60-vote threshold to advance in the evenly-divided chamber late last week. While the supplemental funding package for Ukraine was able to clear with strong bipartisan support, funding measures to support health-related pandemic needs and small businesses have struggled to gain traction in the 50-50 Senate. 

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (5/23)”

Capitol Hill Update

Congress will convene for legislative business this week as lawmakers look to clear pending supplemental appropriations bills, starting with the Bipartisan Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act (text; summary). Late last week, the Senate was unable to reach a “unanimous consent” agreement for expedited passage after Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) blocked the $40 billion supplemental funding bill over disagreements on the amendment process. Specifically. Sen. Paul is pushing for a vote on a provision that would create a special Inspector General to oversee the Ukraine spend.. While the funding bill is expected to pass with bipartisan support through “regular order,” the condensed floor schedule could complicate the timing for consideration of a separate funding package to support restaurants and other adversely impacted small business industries.

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (5/16)”

Capitol Hill Update

Both chambers of Congress will resume legislative business this week as leadership looks to break the logjam on a pair of supplemental appropriations requests. While lawmakers have a bipartisan agreement to move as much as $33 billion for Ukrainian military and humanitarian assistance, Democrats and Republicans are still searching for common ground on the $10 billion Bipartisan COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act. Senate Republicans have remained steadfast in their position that the two requests should be addressed separately as opposed to combining the two within the same package — the preferred strategy of Democratic leadership. The two sides will also need to navigate disagreements pertaining to the Biden administration’s rollback of the Title 42 public health directive at the U.S.-Mexico border before the pandemic relief funding can pass the 50-50 Senate.

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (5/9)”

Capitol Hill Update

The Senate will return this afternoon to kick off a busy week of legislative business, headlined by floor action on the Bipartisan Innovation Act conference committee. Starting tomorrow, senators will consider 28 “motions to instruct” (summary) — procedural votes that are nonbinding but can be politically tricky depending on the scope of the particular issue — prior to formally entering the conference negotiation with dozens of lawmakers in both chambers.  Additionally, the Senate is slated to consider the nominations of Joshua Frost to be an Assistant Secretary of Treasury and Elizabeth de Leon Bhargava to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Meanwhile, House lawmakers have adjourned for a weeklong district work period and will return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 10.

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (5/2)”

Congress is set to begin a new legislative work period this week, with the Senate returning first, later today, and the House tomorrow. Upon their return to Capitol Hill, lawmakers will look to pass $10 billion in supplemental funding to address health-related pandemic response efforts, as well as roughly $50 billion for restaurants and other “hard hit” small businesses. Disagreements over immigration, funding offsets, and global health will need to be navigated before a clear path forward emerges for the COVID-19 funding bill. Meanwhile, Congress will also be ramping up its appropriations activities for fiscal year (FY) 2023, with several cabinet officials — including Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, among others — set to testify on the President’s budget request for their respective agencies this week.

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (4/25)”

Capitol Hill Update

Congress has adjourned for a two-week state work period for the Easter and Passover holidays. The Senate will return on Monday, April 25, with the House returning a day later on Tuesday, April 26.

Continue reading “Health Policy Report (4/18)”