Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Spending Bill Could Include Money For Gun Violence Research For First Time In More Than 20 Years
The Hill: House Dems Propose $50 Million To Study Gun Violence Prevention
House Democrats on Monday proposed $50 million in funding for federal agencies to study gun violence prevention. A draft measure released by House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) calls for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health to study firearm injury and mortality prevention. (Hellmann, 4/29)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: New Bill Would Fund CDC Gun Violence Research
Should both chambers of Congress approve, it would mark the first time the agency has received funding to research the issue since lawmakers effectively banned it in the mid-1990s. The so-called Dickey amendment directed the CDC not to “advocate or promote gun control,” which had a chilling effect on firearms research. (Hallerman, 4/29)
Politico Pro: House Democrats Propose $8.5B Funding Bump For HHS
House appropriators are proposing an $8.5 billion increase to HHS’ budget as part of their fiscal 2020 spending bill, defying calls from President Donald Trump to slash funding to the department. The draft plan would boost the HHS budget to $99 billion and target new spending for a series of major public health priorities, including research on gun violence. (Cancryn, 4/29)
CQ HealthBeat: House Spending Bill Boosts Labor, HHS, Education Programs
The House Appropriations Committee on Monday released the text of a bill that would provide $189.8 billion for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in fiscal 2020, providing an increase of $11.7 billion compared to fiscal 2019. The Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee plans to mark up the bill on Tuesday, kicking off its work for this spending cycle with the largest discretionary funding measure outside of the Defense Department. (Bacon and Siddons, 4/29)
Politico Pro: Democrats' Health Spending Draft Takes Aim At Detention Of Migrant Children
House Democrats' fiscal 2020 spending plan for HHS targets several aspects of the Trump administration's controversial border policy, including the agency's stewardship of unaccompanied migrant children and those separated from their families. The spending draft, which is unlikely to pass muster with the Republican-controlled Senate, bars the administration from housing child migrants in "soft-sided dormitories" critics have called "tent cities" in border states, or in unlicensed facilities set up to deal with the massive influx of refugees seeking asylum. (Ollstein, 4/29)
