This Week in Washington: President Biden Signs Omnibus Appropriations Package into Law to Fund the Federal Government Through FY 2022
Congress
House
Reps. Maloney, Pressley and Bush Call for Expansion of Medication Abortion Care
On March 15, Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Cori Bush (D-MO) led a group of 12 Democratic congresswomen in a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Department Secretary Xavier Becerra. In the letter, the members call on Secretary Becerra to use the newly established Reproductive Health Care Access Task Force to expand access to medication abortion care following the elimination of the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone in December.
The letter can be found here.
Rep. Burgess Introduces Bill to Address High Insulin Cost
On March 14, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) introduced the Insulin Savings for Patients Act. The bill would pass all rebate dollars for insulin to Medicare Part D beneficiaries at the pharmacy counter, with the objective of reducing out-of-pocket costs for insulin. In addition, the bill would require the Comptroller General to report to Congress on the insulin rebate and cost trends.
The bill text can be found here.
Senate
STANDUP Act Signed into Law
On March 15, President Biden signed the Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention (STANDUP) Act of 2021 into law. The law was introduced by Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and prioritizes grant programs and educational agencies that implement suicide awareness and prevention training policies.
The legislative text can be found here.
Legislation to Support the Foundation for the NIH and the Reagan-Udall Foundation Signed into Law
On March 15, President Biden signed the “Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act” into law. The law was introduced by Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Susan Collins (R-ME), as well as Reps. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA). The law increases the set-aside for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Reagan-Udall Foundation.
The legislative text can be found here.
Methamphetamine Response Act Signed into Law
On March 14, President Biden signed the Methamphetamine Response Act into law. The law was introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and directs the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to create a plan to address rising methamphetamine use.
The legislative text can be found here.
Senate HELP Committee Votes to Advance the PREVENT Pandemics Act
On March 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 20-2 to advance the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats (PREVENT), and Pandemics Act. The legislation was drafted by HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) and aims to improve public health and response capability. The PREVENT Pandemics Act incorporates ideas from 35 different bills related to public health and response capability, and eight amendments were approved by the committee during the executive session. The bill now goes to the Senate floor for consideration.
Sens. Markey, Kaine and Duckworth Call for Improved Guidance to Help Individuals with Long COVID Access Disability Benefits
On March 17, Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to the Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Kilolo Kijakazi to call for improved guidance for people living with long COVID who apply for disability benefits. The letter notes that current SSA guidance requires applicants to provide a positive COVID-19 test or diagnosis with limited exceptions, which is a barrier for many Americans who could not access COVID-19 testing.
The letter can be found here.
Senate Approves Measure to End Mask Mandate on Public Transportation
On March 15, the Senate voted 57-40 to approve a resolution that would nullify the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) mask mandates on public transportation. Eight Democrats voted in favor of the resolution, which is unlikely to pass the House.
Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.