Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Nurse Will Fill In As 'The Nation's Doctor'; Covid Briefings Will Resume
The Washington Post: Biden To Tap Nurse As Acting Surgeon General
The Biden administration has selected nurse Susan Orsega to serve as the nation’s acting surgeon general, said two people with knowledge of her selection who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the announcement. Orsega, a career-commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service corps and a longtime infectious-disease specialist, would be among the first nurses to serve in the role of surgeon general, which is often referred to as “the nation’s doctor.” The announcement of Orsega’s selection could come as soon as Tuesday, one of the people said. (Diamond, 1/25)
The Hill: Nurse To Be Tapped By Biden As Acting Surgeon General: Report
President Biden is expected to tap a nurse as acting surgeon general after former President Trump’s surgeon general was asked to resign last week, The Washington Post reported Monday. The newly sworn-in president plans to name Susan Orsega, a nurse and officer in the U.S. Public Health Service corps, as among the first nurses to serve in the role, two people with knowledge of her selection told the Post. One source said Biden could select Orsega to serve as soon as Tuesday. (Coleman, 1/25)
In other news from the White House —
The Hill: Biden White House To Resume COVID-19 Briefings With Health Officials
The Biden White House announced it will resume regular briefings with public health experts focused on the response to the coronavirus pandemic, reviving an approach that had fizzled out during the Trump administration even as the outbreak worsened. The White House anticipates holding three briefings each week led by public health officials and members of the administration's COVID-19 response team, press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. The first of those briefings will take place on Monday, and will "continue regularly for the foreseeable future," she said. (Samuels, 1/25)
AP: White House Adding Sign Language Interpreter For Briefings
The Biden administration is adding a sign language interpreter to its daily press briefings. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the move during Monday’s briefing, and an interpreter could be seen on the White House’s YouTube stream of the event. (Jaffe, 1/25)
AP: Biden Replaces White House Doctor With Longtime Physician
President Joe Biden has brought back Dr. Kevin O’Connor as his physician, replacing President Donald Trump’s doctor with the one who oversaw his care when he was vice president. The White House confirmed that Dr. Sean Conley, the Navy commander who served as the head of the White House Medical Unit under Trump and oversaw his treatment when he was hospitalized with COVID-19, will assume a teaching role at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. (Miller, 1/25)
Also —
The Washington Post: Biden Moving To Nix Trump Plan On Opioid-Treatment Prescriptions
The Biden administration is preparing to halt a last-minute plan by the Trump administration to let more physicians prescribe an opioid-treatment drug, said three officials with knowledge of the pending announcement, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plan. The Trump plan had been hailed by physicians as loosening requirements they said had slowed their response to the nation’s worsening opioid crisis. Then-presidential candidate Joe Biden also criticized the prescribing rules and vowed to lift them if elected president. But some legal experts warned that the Department of Health and Human Services lacked the authority to issue guidelines that allowed physicians to avoid requirements mandated by Congress. (Diamond and Bernstein, 1/25)
Roll Call: Biden Won't 'Cherry Pick' Parts Of His $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus Aid Plan
President Joe Biden suggested Monday he was prepared to give Republicans a "couple weeks" to reach a bipartisan deal on a coronavirus aid package before triggering the budget reconciliation process to skirt GOP opposition. Facing a key governance test in his fledgling presidency, Biden made clear he hoped to rally bipartisan support for his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan. But he also held out the prospect of resorting to a more partisan approach: a reconciliation tool that avoids the risk of a Senate filibuster. (Lerman and McPherson, 1/25)
