Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Director Nominee Set To Testify Before Senate; Many Expect A Less Contentious Hearing
NPR: CDC Director Nominee Erica Schwartz Faces Senate For Confirmation Hearing
Dr. Erica Schwartz, Trump's latest nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is scheduled to appear before a Senate committee Wednesday morning, to answer questions about her vision and qualifications for the role. The confirmation hearing, with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, will be Schwartz's first public appearance since Trump nominated her for the role in mid-April. Schwartz is Trump's third nominee to lead the nation's beleaguered public health agency, which has not had a permanent director for most of Trump's second term in office. (Huang, 7/15)
Axios: Trump's CDC Pick Could Have Easier Path Than Other Nominees
The latest Senate debate over a Trump health appointment kicks off Wednesday with a less polarizing nominee than some of the president's previous picks — but that doesn't mean controversies around vaccines and public health are over. (Sullivan, 7/15)
More health news from Capitol Hill —
The Washington Post: House Passes Trump’s Plan To Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
The House voted Tuesday to end Americans’ practice of switching their clocks twice per year, delivering a win for President Donald Trump, who has called for permanent daylight saving time over the objections of medical groups and lawmakers who represent Midwestern states. The bill passed by a lopsided 308-117 vote but still needs to clear the Senate, where its prospects are uncertain, to take effect. ... The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other medical groups have said that year-round daylight saving time does not align with humans’ natural circadian rhythms and that year-round standard time would be preferable. (Liss-Roy and Diamond, 7/14)
The Hill: Senate Democrat Ron Wyden Requests Investigation Into Whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Broke Hatch Act
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Monday asked the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. violated the Hatch Act last month when he spoke with two candidates running for congressional office. In a letter to Acting Special Counsel Jamieson Greer, Wyden requested that he “immediately open an investigation” into Kennedy’s contact with two Libertarian candidates in June and whether these interactions violated the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act of 1939 limits federal employees from participating in certain political activities. (Choi, 7/14)
Stat: Nation's Largest Medicare Advantage Insurers Pressed On AI Denials
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) are calling on the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurers to provide internal records and detailed information on their use of artificial intelligence to block rehabilitative care. (Ross and Herman, 7/15)
Stat: Democrats See Financial Conflicts On RFK Jr. Advisory Panel
Two high-ranking Democratic senators are questioning the credentials and financial conflicts of members of an advisory committee established by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that aims to improve and modernize the health care system. (Cirruzzo, 7/14)
