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News and updates

21st Century Cures Draft Provides $10 Billion Increase for NIH

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Bipartisan House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders have released a discussion draft marking continued progress in the 21st Century Cures Initiative. The discussion draft is the product of months of bipartisan negotiations and bipartisan staff continues working toward finalized legislation.

The biggest and best provision included in the draft provides for an increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), both through reauthorization and $10 billion over five years in mandatory funding, starting in FY 2016.

 The discussion draft also includes provisions to:

  • Incorporate the patient perspective in the discovery, development, and delivery process.
  • Foster development of treatments for patients facing serious or life-threatening diseases.
  • Repurpose drugs for serious or life-threatening diseases and conditions.
  • Modernize clinical trials.
  • Break down barriers to increased collaboration and data sharing among patients, researchers, providers, and innovators.
  • Help the development of personalized and precision medicines so the right patient can receive the right treatment at the right time.
  • Provide for continued work in the telehealth space.
  • Advance a truly interoperable health care system.
  • Provide clarity for developers of software products used in health management and medical care.

A complete section-by-section summary of the discussion draft is available online here and a one-page summary is available online here.

White House Issues Veto Threat on Two House Apropriations Bills

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Today, the White House issued a veto threat on two recently marked up House Appropriations bills.  HR 2028 — Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 and HR 2029 – Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016.

The White House on Tuesday threatened to veto the FY16 Energy and Water Appropriations bill because it “drastically underfunds critical investments.” Republicans are developing FY16 spending bills under the 2011 Budget Control Act’s sequester-reduced spending caps but are providing extra funds for defense through the alternative account. In its statement, the White House also threatened to veto “any other legislation that implements the current Republican budget framework”; it has proposed rolling back sequestration for both defense and non-defense programs.

While a veto threat will not keep the House from considering the measures, it does complicate the funding bills’ futures. The House is expected to consider the FY16 Energy and Water Appropriations legislation for the bulk of the week.

House Releases NASA Authorization

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The House Science Committee released another two year reauthorization, this time it was for NASA. Chairman Lamar Smith released the NASA Authorization Act for 2016 and 2017 today while also announcing the legislation’s markup for Thursday at 11 am.   The FY2016 and 2017 authorization would make deep cuts to NASA’s earth science program under either of the two funding scenarios laid out in the bill – “aspirational” or “constrained.” Top-line funding for NASA would be the same as the President’s FY2016 budget request ($18.5 billion) under the aspirational level or the same as its current funding ($18.0 billion) under the constrained scenario.  Overall, the bill favors human space exploration, planetary science, and astrophysics.

The funding section is complicated because two budget levels are recommended depending on whether Congress removes the caps set by the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA).

The bulk of the 129-page bill is policy provisions that appear to be virtually identical to those passed by the House in February in the 2015 NASA Authorization Act. That bill’s funding recommendations were only for FY2015, which is in progress and reflected what had already been appropriated. This Republican-sponsored bill substitutes funding recommendations for the next two years, FY2016 and FY2017.

In February of this year, the House Science Committee introduced and passed the following day HR 810- the 2015 NASA Authorization Act. It also passed the full House by voice vote. The bill was virtually identical to the FY2014 NASA Authorization Act passed by the House last year by a vote of 401-2.

Click here to read the text of the NASA Authorization Act for 2016 and 2017.

 

This Week in Congress, April 27 – May 1

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It’s another busy week on Capitol Hill. Here are some of the hearings we’re paying attention to this week.

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

Senate HELP
MEDICAL INNOVATION FOR PATIENTS
10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE
9 a.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: INTERIOR-ENVIRONMENT
2:30 p.m., 124 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Armed Services
FISCAL 2016 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

 

THURSDAY, APRIL 30

Senate Appropriations
FISCAL 2016 APPROPRIATIONS: LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION
10 a.m., 124 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Education & the Workforce
COLLEGE ACCESS ISSUES
10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Energy & Commerce
21ST CENTURY CURES BILL
10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

House Science, Space & Technology
NASA REAUTHORIZATION
11 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Markup

 

FRIDAY, MAY 1

House Science, Space & Technology
BATTERY STORAGE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
9 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

What We’re Reading, April 20-24

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Here’s a selection of articles the Office of Federal Relations is reading this week.

Earth from James Web Telescope. (Smithsonian Air and Space Museum)

Murray-Ryan 2.0? – Republicans are also feeling the chafe from the Sequester spending caps. That’s the problem with a deal no one wanted in the first place. Read more at Politico. 

Serious Flaws – The piece looks at the 10 serious underlining issues and assumptions in both the House and Senate budgets. Read more at CPBP.

College Ratings – Insider Higher Ed has a better look at the Administration’s plans for their College Ratings system…something obtained after a FOIA request. Read more here.

Not as Bad as It Used to Be – A new study suggests this Congress is “healthier” than previous Congreses and shows an inclination to do more and work together. Read more at USA Today. 

Share the Blame – A new books, using the Univ. of Montana as an example, says college towns fail students on reporting sexual assult as much as colleges fail victims. Read more at Vox.

Drones –  In partnership with a branch of the 32 Advisors consulting firm, the American Red Cross is set to release a report this morning on how drones can help first responders and improve disaster relief efforts, making several policy recommendations to the FAA on allowing drones for emergency and disaster response. The report recommends that the FAA allow small commercial drones to be flown over populated areas during declared emergencies and within controlled airspace within disaster areas. The report also suggests the FAA ensure it can scale up staff resources to process drone flight requests during disasters. The report is here. A six page summary is here.

Resign, Please – Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp is asking senior leadership to submit open-ended resignation letters in advance of incoming-president Michael Young’s start date. Sharp says the move is designed to allow more lattiude for Young to establish his leadership team, which are all at-will employees, and the effort will “be easier on the president” and “cause less conflict”. Fifteen vice presidents and advisers have been asked to submit letters. Read more at Insider Higher Education.

Medicare > Higher Ed – A recent  Moody’s Analytics report found that, nationwide, state Medicaid spending will increase as a share of overall state spending to 17.9 percent by fiscal 2024, up from 15.6 percent in fiscal 2013. This means that higher ed funding is directly shortchanged due to Medicare funding. Read more at Diversity Education.