State Officials Wait On Biden Administration Pandemic Policies
Most state and local health departments are expected to be receptive to the guidance and changes ushered in by the next White House, but the challenges all face are steep. Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden continues to select his team.
ABC News:
How State Health Departments Might View Joe Biden's COVID Response Plan
With the novel coronavirus surging in states across the country, state leaders are scrambling to develop plans to contain the outbreak as many critics say the Trump administration remains largely disengaged. But former health officials and experts told ABC News that those offices may have a stronger ally in their fight next year -- the incoming Biden administration. (Pereira, 11/29)
The Hill:
Hispanic Leaders Coalesce In Support Of Lujan Grisham As HHS Secretary
Hispanic political leaders are banding together in support of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), who they see as the most qualified candidate to be President-elect Joe Biden's secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). In a letter to Biden on Sunday, a broad majority of Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) members called on Biden to appoint Lujan Grisham, who led the CHC as a member of Congress before becoming governor, and was New Mexico's top health care official. (Bernal, 11/30)
Stat:
Burr Could Be A Key Public Health Champion In 2020 — Or A Major Obstacle
Ask some key public health officials, and they’ll warn you that next year, President-elect Biden’s public health agenda could face a formidable roadblock: an empowered Sen. Richard Burr, the North Carolina Republican with a long history of antagonizing the Food and Drug Administration and other key agencies. (Florko, 12/1)
Also —
NPR:
What Joe Biden's Election Means For Abortion Rights
Like many abortion rights opponents, Tom McClusky is feeling good about battles won under President Trump during his four years in office. "He has probably done more pro-life things than many Republicans who have had two terms," McClusky said. McClusky, vice president of government affairs at the March for Life, points to Trump's reinstatement and expansion of the Mexico City policy, which forbids foreign aid groups who provide or refer patients for abortion from receiving U.S. funds, and similar rules for domestic family planning providers who receive funds through the federal Title X program. (McCammon, 12/1)
Politico:
Biden, After The Fall
Even if [Joe] Biden’s broken foot is forgotten by Inauguration Day, the episode may be remembered as the first of many in the Biden era, when political reporters are likely to find themselves scrutinizing a medical report, thanks to a simple reality: Aging Americans tend to need more health care. (Diamond, 11/30)
