Attacks Reshape Congressional Budget Priorities; Many Health Care Issues Likely to be Postponed Until Next Year

Although "as recently as" Sept. 10 health issues such as patients' rights and a Medicare drug benefit appeared "likely to play a central role in the end-of-year budget battle this fall," they are "among items now headed for the back burner" considering the Sept. 11 attacks, CongressDaily/AM reports. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) said, "Everything's a lower priority. All the other little issues seem less important to debate" (Rovner, CongressDaily/AM, 9/13). Among the lower priorities are budgetary issues, including the "sudden disappearance of the debate on preserving the Social Security surpluses," the Washington Post reports (Broder/Eilperin, Washington Post, 9/13). Several health-related hearings were cancelled this week, including a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Medicaid's "upper payment limit"; a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on embryonic stem cell research; a House Ways and Means subcommittee hearing on Medicare contractor reform; a joint House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Medicare drug reimbursement; and separate Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearings on protections for human research subjects and genetic discrimination. A senior Senate committee aide said, "We're taking things moment by moment." A House committee aide added, "Positions haven't changed, but the world has." Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack expressed concern about the fate of a bill to provide coverage to the uninsured, saying, "It was in trouble before. This certainly can't help." In addition to Congress, other groups delayed action on various health issues (CongressDaily/AM, 9/13).