On the Hill: Hearings Examine COVID-19 Disparities, Response

Multiple congressional committees will focus on COVID-19 this week, as Congress continues its response to the pandemic while also directing attention toward police reform.

Two committees are reviewing health equity in the context of the pandemic:

• The House Committee on Education and Labor met June 22 to discuss how COVID-19 exacerbated racial disparities in education, health, and the workforce; and
• The House Committee on the Budget will hold a June 23 hearing to explore how COVID-19 is exposing health and wealth inequality in America.

Several other panels will examine the impact of COVID-19 and the administration’s response to the pandemic:

• The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a June 25 hearing on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes;
• The House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance will hold a June 26 hearing to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on insurers and policyholders;
• The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will conduct a June 23 oversight hearing on the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic; and
• The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs will hold a June 24 hearing on the role of the Strategic National Stockpile in responding to pandemics.

To prepare for the next pandemic, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a June 23 hearing on lessons learned from COVID-19.

Infrastructure Legislation Supports Hospital Construction

House Democratic leaders introduced a $1.5 trillion investment package to revamp and rebuild infrastructure in the United States. The Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2) includes a provision to dedicate $10 billion over five years to hospital construction and modernization, with a focus on improving public health preparedness and preventing cybersecurity attacks.

In provisions important to essential hospitals, the legislation proposes to invest in a wide array of programs and infrastructure improvements to help eliminate health disparities, from expanding access to broadband to ensuring safe drinking water.