Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Strip Covid Funds From Spending Deal; Bill Passes House
The Hill: Democrats Yank COVID Relief After Revolt By Own Members
Facing a revolt from rank-and-file Democrats, party leaders on Wednesday yanked billions of dollars in emergency funding from a $1.5 trillion government funding package — a move that will allow for passage of the larger package but leaves the fate of the pandemic relief up in the air. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) confirmed the news in a "Dear Colleague" letter on Wednesday afternoon, largely blaming Republicans for the impasse that sparked the stunning last-minute revision to the larger spending package. (Lillis and Folley, 3/9)
Politico: House Dems Clear $1.5T Spending Deal After Stripping Covid Aid
Democrats were jubilant over the passage of the bill, which was the result of months of protracted battles with GOP leaders. But it wasn’t without last-minute drama in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team were forced to yank the White House’s $15 billion coronavirus relief request out of their bill after dozens of members revolted against paying for that aid using their home states’ stockpiles of pandemic cash. The decision to ditch the virus aid was a tough setback for party leaders and Biden, who now have no clear path to deliver that money — intended to help bolster global vaccinations and prepare the U.S. for another variant. (Ferris, Wu and Scholtes, 3/9)
The New York Times: Uncertainty For Biden’s Covid Plan After Aid Is Dropped From Spending Bill
Faced with Republican resistance after asking for billions of additional dollars to keep fighting the coronavirus, the Biden administration recently supplied Congress with a chart showing how much money it had left for testing, therapeutics and vaccines. It was filled with zeros. But on Wednesday, Democrats in Congress stripped a $15.6 billion emergency aid package from a broader spending bill amid disputes over how to cover the cost. The move injects uncertainty into President Biden’s plan, announced last week, to address “urgent needs” in his pandemic response and to prepare for future variants. (Stolberg and Ngo, 3/9)
The Hill: Pelosi Says Separate Coronavirus Relief Bill Will Be Put On The Floor 'Hopefully Today'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Wednesday that a separate coronavirus relief bill would be put on the House floor “hopefully today” after she informed House members earlier that day that COVID-19 funding would be removed from a $1.5 trillion government funding package. “We have a bill that's going to be on the floor, hopefully today, just depends. We have a bill that I mentioned, that will be on the floor today. And it will be — really contain what the administration says that we need. It’s a separate funding package to continue the battle against coronavirus largely focusing on the new therapies that are there,” Pelosi said during her weekly news conference. (Vakil and Sullivan, 3/9)
What else is included in the $1.5T spending package? —
Modern Healthcare: Congress' $1.5 Trillion Spending Deal Includes 340B, Telehealth Coverage
The overall package also does not include several other provider group requests, including another delay of Medicare payment cuts, which are set to partially resume in April. The package also does not include more money for the Provider Relief Fund, which helps providers offset financial losses due to COVID-19, nor does it include a suspension of Medicare loan repayments. Providers did score some wins. Some hospitals that fell out of the 340B Drug Discount Program during the pandemic due to a change in patient mix and volume will be allowed to stay in the program through Dec. 31. More than 50 hospitals have already been kicked out of the program during the pandemic, according to the American Hospital Association. However, the language is not retroactive, meaning that hospitals that already lost eligibility may not benefit. (Hellmann, 3/9)
NPR: Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Is Added To A $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill
Party leaders announced Wednesday that a long-stalled reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act — the federal law that provides resources to victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence — is included in the $1.5 trillion federal spending package making its way through Congress this week. First enacted in 1994, VAWA lapsed four years ago due to a partisan dispute over an expanded gun provision that Democrats wanted to include in the updated version of the law. Republicans objected, and the reauthorization languished on Capitol Hill ever since. Last month, senators announced they had reached an agreement after months of renewed talks. Democrats backed down from an earlier demand to include a provision that would have expanded existing gun laws that prohibit convicted abusers of possessing firearms, addressing what's commonly referred to as the "boyfriend loophole." (Davis, 3/9)
