/>iFinal Week Before Easter Recess
Focus this week on Capitol Hill will remain on reconciliation, as Republicans aim to pass the unified budget resolution in the House before leaving on Thursday for the two-week Easter recess. The Senate passed the resolution in a 51 – 48 vote after considering 800 amendments from Democrats in a “vote-a-rama.” Senators Paul (R-KY) and Collins (R-ME) joined all Democrats to vote against the resolution. As a reminder, the unified budget resolution includes instructions for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to save at least $880 billion, likely to come from Medicaid reforms.
After Republicans won two House special elections last week, the House margin is at 220 – 213. That means Speaker Johnson can only lose three votes to pass the resolution, which may be challenging since House Budget Committee Chair Arrington (R-TX) and members of the House Freedom Caucus are currently opposed. A floor vote is scheduled for Wednesday, and passage may require intervention from President Trump.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will mark up 26 bills, six of which are bipartisan healthcare bills. It will be worth watching if they advance easily out of the committee, or if Democrats use the markup as an opportunity to continue to express their concerns with Republicans and the Trump administration. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will mark up S. 932, the Give Kids a Chance Act. Hearings will also be held to discuss lowering the cost of biosimilars and how to restore trust in the US Food and Drug Administration. The Senate continues to advance Trump nominees, and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will vote on the nominations of Scott Kupor to be director of the Office of Personnel Management and Eric Ueland to be deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget.
Meanwhile, US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy will be on a Make America Healthy Again tour in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico to discuss state, tribal, and local initiatives to improve healthy eating and ban fluoride in drinking water. Later in the week, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) will hold their final meetings of 2024 – 2025 cycle. Both commissions will vote on recommendations, including a MedPAC vote on reforming the physician fee schedule and a MACPAC vote on recommendations for its June report to Congress.
Today’s Podcast
In this week’s Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss priorities in the House of Representatives ahead of the Easter recess, including reconciliation and an Energy & Commerce Committee markup of several healthcare bills.
