Hearings/Markups
House Committee on Appropriations: “Department of Veterans Affairs – Response to COVID-19”
Tuesday, May 19: The House Committee on Appropriations, subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on the response to COVID-19 by the Department of Veterans Affairs, with a witness panel of officials from the VA. Find more details on the hearing here.
Senate Committee on Aging: “Caring for Seniors Amid the COVID-19 Crisis”
Thursday, May 21: The Senate Committee on Aging held a hearing on caring for senior citizens during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Find more details on the hearing here.
House
Carter Introduces Bill for 30 Percent Tax Credit to U.S.-Manufactured Drugs, Medical Equipment
On May 22, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced a bill to give a 30 percent tax credit to drug manufacturers and makers of medical gear and diagnostics that are manufactured in the United States. The Manufacturing API, Drugs, and Excipients (MADE) in America Act is sponsored by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), David McKinley (R-WV), Eric Crawford (R-AR) and Darren Soto (D-FL).
Energy and Commerce Committee Probes Administration’s COVID-19 Response
The House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee announced they will spend the next few months investigating the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The investigation will focus on COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, the supply chain for personal protective gear and vaccine development. The goal is to outline ways to improve the response moving forward.
Senate
Senate Democrats Release Plan to Expand Health Care Coverage & Affordability During COVID-19
On May 22, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tina Smith (D-MN), with Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), released a plan to expand health care coverage and affordability during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a white paper, the senators outline a series of common sense legislative priorities that the Senate should take up immediately, including expanding premium support through subsidies and tax credits, incentivizing Medicaid expansion in hold-out states and having a special open enrollment period. Their proposal also calls for all COVID-19 treatment costs to be covered, including for the uninsured. Find the plan here.
Read more in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.