With Health Law Vote, Senate Dems Hope To Put Republicans On Record Against Preexisting Conditions Coverage
Senate Democrats unveiled plans to force a vote on a Trump administration guidance that could make it easier for states to get waivers from the health law's requirements. The vote is mostly political, as the legislation is unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.
The Hill:
Senate Democrats To Force Vote On Trump Health Care Moves
Senate Democrats will force a vote to block the Trump administration from allowing states to make changes to their ObamaCare markets. Under the Congressional Review Act, the Senate can overrule and block some actions taken by government agencies. While it’s unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate, it gives Democrats another opportunity to hit the GOP on health care and protections for pre-existing conditions ahead of the 2020 elections. (Hellmann, 7/31)
CQ:
Senate Democrats To Force Vote On Trump Health Care Rule
“What we're talking about today is granting waivers to states to offer junk insurance plans,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a press conference. “These plans let the insurance companies get away with everything, even murder, figuratively speaking.” In October 2018, the administration put forward guidance to make it easier for states to make broader changes and subsidize policies that don’t meet the health care law's standards. All Democratic senators co-sponsored a Congressional Review Act joint resolution to roll back the changes by the Trump administration to the law's 1332 waiver policy. (Lindarte, 7/31)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
CQ:
Senate Bill Targets Costly Drugs Created With Taxpayer Support
A Republican and a Democrat in the Senate on Wednesday proposed a bill meant to ensure that prescription drugs developed with the support of federal dollars aren’t launched with unreasonable prices. The National Institutes of Health, with its $39.1 billion budget, and other federal programs often support early research into drugs or the clinical testing required to develop a drug. Sometimes, the NIH and other agencies will license their patented discoveries to private companies that further develop products for sale. (Siddons, 7/31)
