CONGRESS TACKLES DEFENSE, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN BUSY WEEK AHEAD

Congress is in session Tuesday through Friday of this week, and it is sure to be a politically charged few days.

The House is bringing forth the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act this week. The bill cleared the House Armed Services Committee last month with near unanimous support, in good part because it does not include hot-button, politically driven provisions. However, more than 1,300 amendments (yes, 1,300) have been filed with the Rules Committee. Several Republican-submitted amendments include the third-rail topic of abortion, but we will see what makes it through the Rules Committee.

While not health policy related, another contentious topic worth noting for the floor this week is potential consideration of a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.

Elsewhere in the House, a full Energy and Commerce Committee markup is expected this week. It is still unclear whether the markup will include the telehealth legislation advanced by the Health Subcommittee last month or the broad privacy draft bill authored by Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) that was advanced by the Innovation, Data and Commerce Subcommittee. The Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) innovation in value-based care where Liz Fowler, deputy administrator and director of the CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, will be the sole witness. The House Budget Committee will hold a hearing on Medicare and Social Security solvency.

The Senate will continue focusing on reproductive health this week, with a potential procedural floor vote Thursday on legislation to protect access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) services. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Katie Britt (R-AL) will also reportedly try to pass their bill blocking Medicaid funding from states that ban IVF via unanimous consent. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) may also try this week to pass a non-binding resolution in support of IVF.

Off the Senate floor, the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing examining failures and potential solutions related to youth residential treatment facilities.

TODAY’S PODCAST

Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss what this week’s action on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will mean for Congress’ productivity over the rest of the year.