Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Director Nominee Pledges To Defend Science During Confirmation Hearing
Fierce Healthcare: 'I Will Never Betray The Science': CDC Nominee To Lawmakers
Erica Schwartz, M.D., the latest nominee to lead the beleaguered Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told lawmakers on Wednesday that she was committed to scientific integrity and transparency to restore trust in the country's top public health agency. "As CDC director, my sacred responsibility is to provide the American people with public health guidance that is clear, honest and evidence-based. I will never betray the science," Schwartz said during a confirmation hearing with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. (Landi, 7/15)
The Hill: Blanche Pledges To End Mail-Order Abortion Medication Under Trump Admin
Acting attorney general Todd Blanche pledged on Wednesday to take action to stop abortion medication from being available through the mail. Blanche committed to Republican senators he would prioritize taking action on mifepristone if confirmed but declined to go into specifics. He said the Trump administration opposes a Biden-era policy that allowed the abortion pill mifepristone to be sent through the mail, and suggested the Department of Justice could review it. (Weixel, 7/15)
CIDRAP: ‘Why Would You Repeat The Damn Lies?’ Cassidy Asks Health Security Nominee About Vaccines
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, appeared exasperated, at times even livid, during today's confirmation hearing for Sean Kaufman, MPH. Kaufman, a senior adviser in global affairs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an agency with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). (Boden, 7/15)
Politico: The GOP Senators Trump Disrespected Are Now Interrogating His Nominees
President Donald Trump’s decision this spring to oust longtime and well-liked senators of his own party is making life difficult for the Trump nominees who still need their votes. Trump has relied on the near-unanimous support of Republican senators to get his nominees through since he returned to the White House last year. Two defeated senators, John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy, along with Thom Tillis, who’s retiring after policy disagreements with Trump, showed that their loyalty to the president isn’t what it used to be on Wednesday as they gave Trump nominees a grilling at Judiciary and Health Committee hearings. (Zeller, 7/15)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
Roll Call: Bipartisan Bill To Eliminate Hepatitis C Unveiled In House
A bipartisan pair of House members is introducing legislation aimed at treating millions of Americans of a deadly-but-curable liver disease, the culmination of a yearslong push from public health advocates. (Hellmann, 7/15)
Politico: The Military Benefits Bill That’s Tearing The Veterans Community Apart
A sweeping veterans benefits measure pitched by Republicans as a boon for tens of thousands of veterans has instead become a divisive wedge for the normally tight-knit military advocacy community — and split the GOP caucus. The fight over the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, expected to be on the House floor Thursday, threatens to complicate future work on military and veterans reforms, which are frequently viewed as non-controversial political crusades for lawmakers. (Shane III and Lee Hill, 7/15)
Military.com: House Bill Renames VA Clinic In Memory Of Army Veteran, NFL Player Pat Tillman
House lawmakers on Wednesday passed bipartisan legislation to rename the VA outpatient clinic in San Jose the Corporal Patrick D. Tillman VA Clinic. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and co-led by Rep. Ken Calvert (D-Calif.), was co-sponsored by every member of the California Congressional delegation. Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Democrat Adam Schiff. (Mordowanec, 7/15)
AP: America Already Tried Permanent Daylight Saving Time. It Lasted Less Than A Year. Could It Work Now?
It’s an idea whose time, as it were, may have come — again. The twice-yearly changing of the clocks in the United States could be a thing of the past if legislation currently in Congress that calls for permanent daylight time makes it through. But even as annoying as some find the back-and-forth of the time shift in the spring and the fall, that doesn’t necessarily mean sticking to one would go over well. America has tried it before, most recently in the 1970s, and it didn’t last. (Hajela, 7/16)
Also —
Stat: Graham’s Death From Aortic Dissection Raises Questions About Preventing The Rare Disorder
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death Saturday at age 71 following an aortic dissection has focused attention on the life-threatening condition. Details about his diagnosis and treatment are not available while a final death certificate is pending, but experts agree on both how serious it is and how suddenly it erupts after a long prelude. (Cooney, 7/15)
