Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Cassidy Thinks CDC Director Nominee Can Stand Up To RFK Jr., Voices Approval
The New York Times: Key Republican Senator Says He Will Support Erica Schwartz For C.D.C. Director
President Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention won the support of a crucial Republican on Thursday after a page on the agency’s website about vaccines and autism was modified to address his objections. (Stolberg, 7/23)
Stat: Senate Health Panel Delays Vote On Erica Schwartz To Run CDC
The Senate’s health panel delayed until next week a vote on Erica Schwartz to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after postponing a separate vote on Sean Kaufman for a key public health preparedness role. (Cirruzzo, 7/23)
Stat: Confirmation Delayed For Controversial Pandemic Preparedness Chief
A Trump administration nominee to lead an agency focused on public health disasters had his confirmation vote postponed amid a lack of support just minutes before it was scheduled to take place, after he was lambasted during a confirmation hearing last week for his past anti-vaccine statements. (Cirruzzo, 7/23)
More from Capitol Hill —
The Hill: Democratic Caucus Files Amicus Brief In Mifepristone Telehealth Case
The entire congressional Democratic caucus filed an amicus brief urging a federal appeals court to retain the Food and Drug Administration’s current rules for prescribing abortion pills. (Weixel, 7/23)
Stat: UPF Food Bill Shows How MAHA Has Scrambled Capitol Hill Politics
Amid debates over whether the political influence of the Make America Healthy Again movement is on the wane, a new bill advanced in the Senate on Wednesday shows that concerns over ultra-processed food continue to upend the usual partisan stances in Washington. (Todd, 7/24)
Roll Call: Tick Bites Snag Congress’ Attention As Red Meat Allergies Rise
Rep. Morgan Griffith would love to eat an all-beef hot dog. But the eight-term Virginia Republican from one of the biggest cattle-producing districts in Congress doesn’t eat red meat — against his will. (Cohen, 7/22)
MedPage Today: Calls For Update On McConnell's Health Grow Louder
Frustrations are growing as Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been absent from the Senate for 40 days, leading to speculation about his health and the truth of his statement from nearly 2 weeks ago. (Henderson, 7/23)
The Hill: Dr. Anthony Fauci To Face Rand Paul In Senate Hearing Next Week
Dr. Anthony Fauci will testify next Wednesday in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed, panel Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Thursday. (Weixel, 7/23)
KFF Health News: Watch: GOP Senator Says Trump’s Tariffs Could Mean Safer Drugs — For A Price
President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported generic drugs could raise some prices for patients, a key GOP lawmaker on health issues said this week. But he said that’s a potentially worthwhile trade-off to protect the nation’s drug supply. (Rovner and Norman, 7/24)
KFF Health News: 'What The Health? From KFF Health News': A Shrinking Safety Net
A new report finds that participation in the federal food stamp program is down far more than was predicted when the Republican-led Congress approved cuts in 2025. That portends a similar fate for Medicaid, as states ready comparable changes. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also, as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. (7/23)
