NEXT UP: SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON

The House officially has a speaker: Mike Johnson (R-LA).

On October 25, Rep. Johnson became Speaker Johnson with a final vote on the first ballot of 220–209.

Speaker Johnson, a fourth-term representative, has kept a relatively low profile. He does not have much in the way of healthcare record, and he has consistently promoted conservative personal beliefs and policy positions. While we await his key staffing decisions in setting up his office, Johnson has proposed a floor schedule that aims to get the House back to regular order and address the November 17 deadline to fund the government.

Johnson proposed a floor vote on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration appropriations bills for the week of November 13, and a stopgap continuing resolution that would fund the government through January 15, including implementation of the 1% cut from the debt limit deal. The House is in recess until Wednesday. Upon its return, the House will vote on providing additional funding to Israel and several related resolutions, three appropriations bills, and three privileged motions related to the expulsion and censure of three members of Congress.

The Senate will hold an Appropriations Committee hearing on President Biden’s emergency supplemental request for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the US border, while potentially confirming Jack Lew as the new ambassador to Israel and working to complete the first minibus appropriations package.

On the regulatory front, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is expected to publish final rules for the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and potentially the 340B remedy. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission will hold their respective November meetings this Thursday and Friday.

So, after weeks of drama in the House, it does seem that regular order is back, but healthcare remains on the back burner this week and tough decisions loom in the future.