House and Senate Consider Medical Modernization

Capitol Hill focuses on the future of health care this week. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will conduct a discussion on medical advancement and improvement on Tuesday with a hearing titled “Continuing America’s Leadership: The Future of Medical Innovation for Patients.” Dr. Christopher P. Austin, Director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Dr. Roderic I. Pettigrew, Ph.D., Director of the National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the NIH; Dr. Jeffrey E. Shuren, Director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA are expected to testify.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is set to release their second draft of the 21st Century Cures Act early this week. The Committee has undertaken a bipartisan 21st Century Cures Initiative this past year, conducting various events and authoring white papers on topics such as innovating public health agencies, incorporating patient perspectives into the regulatory process, and improving medicine and medical product regulation. The Committee has scheduled a hearing for Thursday to discuss their latest language that reflects the Initiative’s efforts. After testifying on Tuesday on the Senate side, Dr. Shuren and Dr. Woodcock will appear before the House Committee, along with Dr. Kathy Hudson, Deputy Director for Science, Outreach, and Policy at the NIH.

This Week’s Hearings:

  • Tuesday, April 28: The Senate Committee on Finance will hold a hearing titled “Creating a More Efficient and Level Playing Field: Audit and Appeals Issues in Medicare.”
  • Tuesday, April 28: The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold a hearing titled “Continuing America’s Leadership: The Future of Medical Innovation for Patients.”
  • Wednesday, April 29: The House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a “Public and Outside Witness” hearing, with 22 witnesses set to testify.
  • Wednesday, April 29: The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold a hearing titled “GAO’s High Risk List and the Veterans Health Administration.”
  • Wednesday, April 29: The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship will hold a hearing titled “King vs. Burwell Supreme Court Case and Congressional Action That Can Be Taken to Protect Small Businesses and Their Employees.”
  • Thursday, April 30: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a legislative hearing on 21st Century Cures.
  • Thursday, April 30: The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold a hearing titled “Examining Access and Quality of Care and Services for Women Veterans.”
  • Thursday, April 30: The Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing to review the FY 2016 funding request and budget justification for the National Institutes of Health.
  • Friday, May 1: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing titled “What is the Federal Government Doing to Combat the Opioid Abuse Epidemic?”
  • Friday, May 1: The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled “Examining Microbeads in Cosmetic Products.”