Recently signed debt ceiling legislation averted default without imposing work requirements for Medicaid recipients, a change Republicans sought early in negotiations and that America’s Essential Hospitals and other safety net advocates strongly opposed.
President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act Saturday. The law’s enactment suspends the nation’s debt ceiling limit through 2024 and ends months of back and forth over the bill between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Biden.
The House voted 314-117 for the bill, and the Senate voted 63-36. Although more Democrats than Republicans voted for the legislation, it remains unclear whether the Republican support could threaten McCarthy’s continued role as speaker in the Republican-controlled House.
Read more about Fiscal Responsibility Act provisions important to essential hospitals in our latest Action Update.
Committee Activity This Week
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing June 7, at 10:30 am ET, titled, “Looking Back Before Moving Forward: Assessing CDC’s Failures in Fulfilling its Mission.” This comes as Biden intends to tap Mandy Cohen, former North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after current Director Rochelle Walensky steps down at the end of June.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a field hearing June 9, at 9:30 am ET, at the Gettysburg National Park Visitor’s Center, in Pennsylvania. The hearing is titled, “Addressing the Opioid Crisis: Examining the SUPPORT Act Five Years Later.”
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing, “Why Are So Many American Youth in a Mental Health Crisis? Exploring Causes and Solutions,” June 8, at 10 am ET.
The Senate Committee on Finance will hold a committee hearing June 8, at 10 am ET, titled, “Consolidation and Corporate Ownership in Health Care: Trends and Impacts on Access, Quality, and Costs.” Witnesses will include various health care stakeholders, including those in academia and leadership.
Join the Federal Action Network Today!
Stay connected to the latest from Washington. Join our Federal Action Network (FAN) — free for members — and gain exclusive access to advocacy expertise and updates. Also, save the date, June 15, 6 pm CT, for the FAN networking event at VITAL 2023, Blues on the Roof.
