This week in Washington: Build Back Better Negotiations on Hold
House
Reps. DelBene and Bucshon Call for Investment in KidneyX Initiative
On Dec. 20, Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN), co-chairs of the Congressional Kidney Caucus, led a group of 18 members of Congress in a letter requesting that the Biden administration invest $25 million in the KidneyX initiative. KidneyX is a public-private partnership between the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department and the American Society of Nephrology that aims to accelerate research into chronic kidney disease and improve kidney care.
The letter can be found linked here.
Senate
Sens. Blunt and Burr Ask How HHS Will Address the COVID-19 Test Shortage
On Jan. 3, Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Richard Burr (R-NC) wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Department Secretary Xavier Becerra requesting information on the Biden administration’s plan to address the shortage of COVID-19 tests. The senators note that this shortage has occurred despite federal investments of $80 billion over two years to improve testing capabilities.
Read more on healthcare policy in McGuireWoods Consulting’s Washington Healthcare Update.