This week in Washington: President Biden acknowledges that the Build Back Better Act might not pass Congress this year.


Congress

The House and Senate are in recess.

House

On Dec. 14, the House and Senate passed the debt ceiling increase, averting a default.

Senate

Senate Passes the Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021

On Dec. 13, the Senate voted to pass the Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021, which was introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA). The bill would designate methamphetamine as an emerging drug threat and require the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to implement a plan to address its use.

Sens. Baldwin and Cassidy Introduce Bill to Improve Medical Device Safety

On Dec. 14, Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced the Medical Device Integrity Act, which would increase the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) access to information about device manufacturers in an attempt to improve pandemic preparedness and device safety.

The bill text can be found here.

Republican Senators Introduce Bill to Limit Medicaid 1115 Waiver Denials

On Dec. 15, Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Todd Young (R-IN), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) introduced the Let States Innovate Under Medicaid Act. The bill would prevent the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from denying a Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver due to the work or community engagement requirements.

The bill can be found here.

Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.