After reaching an agreement to pass key health care legislation and approve dozens of President Trump’s nominations, the Senate has adjourned for August recess — trimming a week from their previously-extended summer work period. The Senate passed sweeping legislation (H.R.2430) yesterday to renew and enhance the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) drug, medical-device, biosimilar, and generic-drug user-fee provisions. The Senate also passed an unrelated pair of pharmaceutical-related bills: (1) a right-to-try bill (S. 204), which provides terminally ill patients access to experimental drugs and treatments outside of clinical trials, and (2) a bipartisan opioids bill (S. 581) that would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop standards for hospitals and physicians to denote a patient’s history of opioid addiction in medical records.
Author: Thornrun
Chas Thomas Joins Thorn Run Partners
For immediate release: July 24, 2017
Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301
Thorn Run Partners (TRP) announced today the addition of Capitol Hill staffer Charles (Chas) Thomas as Vice President. Thomas joins TRP from the Office of Representative Robert Pittenger (R-NC), where he served as Senior Legislative Assistant and Pittenger’s lead staff liaison to the House Financial Services Committee, including the Monetary Policy & Trade and Financial Institutions & Consumer Credit Subcommittees.
Financial Services Report
Our Take
Loyal readers may recall that we had said the best way to view Washington this year was to consider it is a play in four acts. Perhaps we chose the wrong medium. Regardless of form, with the House gone for the August recess, and the Senate left in disarray following the dramatic demise of the Obamacare repeal effort, the third act of this drama has come to close, leaving the audience with quite a cliffhanger. Can they pivot to tax reform? Can they raise the debt ceiling and fund the government? Will the President be indicted, and if so, will he pardon himself? Will North Korean launch a nuclear strike on the mainland?
Stay tuned as all of this – and probably much, much, more – will be on the agenda for next act of this drama we call Washington 2017.
This Week on the Hill: McConnell Plans August Action on Noms, FDA Reauthorization, Debt Ceiling
Despite last week’s failed vote on the “skinny” repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Senate will go forward with its plans to stay in session for two weeks into its traditional August recess. Although the exact schedule remains unclear, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is reportedly hoping to use the time to consider a few of the items that will require action before the end of the current fiscal year on Sep. 30, including a House-passed reauthorization of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a debt ceiling hike. Consideration of the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was initially expected, but objections from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) return to Arizona for cancer treatment have put those plans on hold.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
There was no shortage of drama on Capitol Hill last week as the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) suffered another setback in a failed overnight vote on the Senate floor. Three Republicans joined all Democrats in voting down the so-called “skinny” repeal” that was designed to represent a least common denominator between the moderate and conservative wings of the Republican caucus. While the 49-51 defeat was a major blow for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), it is unclear whether the majority party will be abandoning their tumultuous effort to reshape the nation’s healthcare system. A full breakdown on last week’s events is provided in the roundup below.
Financial Services Report
Looking Ahead
Near Term
- The House is expected to take up a Congressional Review Act measure that would overturn the arbitration rule that the CFPB announced two weeks ago. Also on the agenda for the floor is a “minibus” appropriations bill that includes the Defense, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Energy and Water Development appropriations bills.
- The Financial Services Committee is scheduled to hold a mark-up on Tuesday. On the agenda are a series of Capital Markets measures, plus a resolution of inquiry to compel the Treasury Secretary to produce documents related to the President’s business with Russia.
- With a razor thin margin continuing to pose problems for Leader McConnell as he works to bring up the health care reform bill, the Senate is expected to spend most of the week burning floor time to move a series of nominees.
- Speaking of nominees, the Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday to consider the nominations of Joseph Otting to be the Comptroller of Currency and Randal Quarles to be the Vice-Chair of Supervision at the Federal Reserve.
In RealClearHealth: TRP’s Shea McCarthy Discusses Narrow Path Forward for BCRA
In an op-ed published in RealClearHealth, Thorn Run's Shea McCarthy comments on the narrow path forward for the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). McCarthy notes that while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel stated a repeal and replace “will not be successful,” the GOP’s most viable path forward in passing healthcare reform remains the BCRA. “The 49 GOP senators who met over lunch at the White House last Wednesday left the meeting encouraged, and negotiations among undecided senators continued at a Members-only meeting Wednesday night,” said McCarthy. McCarthy also highlighted the unfeasibility of a “repeal and delay” tactic that would likely alienate moderates and stall healthcare reform altogether. “The likely absence of Sen. McCain this week and the intransigence of Sen. Collins will make threading the legislative needle a difficult — almost impossible — task for GOP leaders. But the BCRA could make one last gasp for revival before we finally write its eulogy. And if Leader McConnell writes the right prescription, it has an outside chance at survival.”
Continue reading “In RealClearHealth: TRP’s Shea McCarthy Discusses Narrow Path Forward for BCRA”
This Week on the Hill: McConnell Makes Final Push for Health Care Bill; House to Consider Approps Minibus to Close Summer Session
Once again, the fierce negotiations on the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are scheduled to come to a head this week with Senate floor consideration of the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA). While every weekly preview for the past month has seemingly promised that event, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Republican leaders appear to be set on using this week as a do-or-die period for the health care overhaul. A vote on the motion to proceed to the bill could come as early as tomorrow, but it remains unclear exactly what package Republican leaders ultimately want to move forward after last week’s collapse in support for the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) as originally drafted. The two apparent options are 1) a “repeal and delay” bill that would more completely repeal the ACA after a two-year period in order to provide Republicans time to design a replacement, or 2) a revised version of the BCRA that would include further changes designed to convince skeptics on both the moderate and conservative side of the spectrum.
Health Policy Report
The Week in Review
It was an immensely tumultuous week for the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bill was seemingly dead after Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) announced that they would oppose a motion to proceed early in the week, but further negotiations have resurrected the package and it may yet be considered on the Senate floor. A full breakdown on the developments is included below.
Today on the Hill: Attention Turns to FY18 Budget, Tax Reform as GOP Health Bill Falters
With the Republican ‘repeal and replace’ effort on life support, lawmakers are headed back to the drawing board on health care and Senate Democrats are reaching out to encourage the majority part to engage in bipartisan conversations. It is unclear how Republican leadership intends to move forward, but it is evident that other priorities are likely to be considered in the meantime.