With Republican Trifecta Clinched, Health Care Policy Changes Loom
Stat and Roll Call break down what GOP control could mean for ACA subsidies, Medicaid funding, Medicare, mental health services, drug pricing, and more. Meanwhile, aides to President-elect Donald Trump are looking at ways to bypass Congress on federal spending.
Stat:
GOP Keeps Control Of House, Giving Trump Broad Power On Health Care
With full control of the House and Senate, President-elect Trump and his fellow Republicans have the power to assert their will over health care policies. The GOP is set to have at least 218 seats in the House of Representatives, maintaining control of the chamber, according to CNN, NBC, and ABC. The party has at least 52 seats in the Senate. (Wilkerson, 11/13)
Roll Call:
New Congress Brings Churn In Health Policy Leadership
Congress’ most influential health panels will see dramatic changes next year, with several advocates on specific issues like mental health, Medicare and drug pricing retiring or losing their reelection bids. The biggest changes will be in store at the House Energy and Commerce Committee, whose wide-ranging jurisdiction includes health insurance, biomedical research, and drug and device safety. (Raman, 11/13)
Politico:
Johnson Clinches GOP Speaker Nomination — But The Real Test Looms In January
Mike Johnson clinched the internal GOP nod to serve as speaker again. But he’s not in the clear yet — the true test is a formal vote on the House floor in January, where he’ll have almost no room for error. House Republicans voted unanimously Wednesday to make Johnson their speaker nominee, according to three people in the room. The Louisiana Republican has been shoring up support for months, crisscrossing the country to campaign for his colleagues, and the party is expected to hold onto House control by a slim margin. (Carney and Beavers, 11/13)
The Washington Post:
Trump Aides Explore Plans To Boost Musk Effort By Wresting Control From Congress
President-elect Donald Trump’s aides are readying unconventional strategies to implement at least some recommendations from a new government spending commission with or without congressional approval, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reflect private deliberations. ... Although changes to government spending typically require an act of Congress, Trump aides are exploring plans to challenge a 1974 budget law in a way that would give the White House the power to unilaterally adopt the Musk commission’s proposals, one of the people said. ... That effort, if successful, could give Trump far greater authority to remake the federal budget on his own, altering the balance of power among the branches of government. (Stein, Dwoskin, Zakrzewski and Bogage, 11/13)
KFF Health News:
After Congress Ended Extra Cash Aid For Families, Communities Tackle Child Poverty Alone
If you bring a baby into the Hurley Children’s Center clinic in downtown Flint, Michigan, Mona Hanna will find you. The pediatrician, who gained national prominence for helping uncover the city’s water crisis in 2015, strode across the waiting room in her white lab coat, eyes laser-focused on the chubby baby in the lap of an unsuspecting parent. “Hi! I’m Dr. Mona!” she said warmly. “Any chance you guys live in Flint?” She learned the family is from neighboring Grand Blanc. (Wells, 11/14)
Could Trump run for a third term? —
NBC News:
House Democrat To Introduce Resolution Reiterating Trump Can Serve Only Two Terms As President
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., plans to file a resolution in the House on Thursday that would express support for the 22nd Amendment of the Constitution, which sets the term limits for the president. Term limits are already enshrined in the Constitution in the 22nd Amendment, so the resolution would have little tangible effect, and it's unclear whether it will get a vote on the House floor, which Republicans control. However, he could introduce it as a privileged resolution to force Republicans to vote on the matter. (Shabad and Kapur, 11/13)
Vox:
Can Trump Run For A Third Term?
To run for a third term, he’d have to repeal that amendment, and that would be difficult. Undoing a constitutional amendment requires an overwhelming level of support from Congress and state legislatures, support he would be unable to obtain. There are two ways to go about rolling back an amendment. The first would require two-thirds of both the House — 290 members — and the Senate — 67 members — to agree to do so. Once they did so, three-fourths of all states — 38 — would then also have to agree. (Zhou, 11/11)
