The U.S. House of Representatives, which returns from recess this week, is scheduled to vote today on budget reconciliation legislation that would repeal many Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions, including Medicaid expansion.
The Senate, which remains in recess this week, passed the bill in December. While the votes are largely symbolic – President Obama has said he will veto the bill – they signal the ability of the Republican-controlled Congress to make good on its pledge to partially repeal the ACA in 2017 if a Republican wins the presidency this fall.
In committee business, House Energy and Commerce Chair Fred Upton (R-MI) announced that three of the committee’s subcommittees (Oversight and Investigations; Health; and Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade) will collaborate on studying head injuries and their impact on different populations, including athletes and people in the military.
Next week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a full committee vote on the nomination of Robert Califf to serve as U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner.