Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fractured Democrats Search For Deals On Spending Bills
The Hill: Democrats Offer Array Of Options For Passing Stalled Infrastructure, Reconciliation Bills
Democratic lawmakers on Sunday offered numerous options for pathways for the potential to pass the stalled infrastructure bill and reconciliation package after failing to bring either key measures of the Biden administration to a vote in the House last week. Some lawmakers said they were confident that they would be able to pass both measures while others, including some progressives who refused to vote for the bipartisan bill unless they could pass the larger reconciliation package first, suggested they'd be open to a smaller price tag or a shorter amount of years of funding social programs. House Democrats failed to bring either bill up for a vote last week as moderate lawmakers like Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) refused to budge from their demands of a lowered reconciliation package. (Choi, 10/3)
The Hill: Schumer Sets One-Month Goal For Passing Two Spending Bills
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday said he hopes to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a reconciliation package in the next month, setting another target date for Congress to approve two pieces of legislation central to President Biden’s domestic agenda after a failed attempt last week. Schumer, during a press conference in New York City on Sunday, said he believes Congress is on track to pass the pair of bills. (Schnell, 10/3)
Politico: Sinema Slams Democratic Leadership On Infrastructure Vote Delay
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema skewered Democratic leadership on Saturday for delaying a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure package, calling the decision “inexcusable” and “deeply disappointing.” In a statement, the Arizona Democrat warned that delaying the vote only reduced trust within the party. “Democratic leaders have made conflicting promises that could not all be kept — and have, at times, pretended that differences of opinion within our party did not exist, even when those disagreements were repeatedly made clear directly and publicly,” Sinema said. (Levine, 10/2)
CBS News: Ocasio-Cortez Says Moderate Senators "Not Really Coming To The Table" Over Budget Bill
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, said Sunday that moderate Democratic senators are "not really coming to the table" to negotiate the details of a sweeping $3.5 trillion social spending package that is a cornerstone of President Biden's economic agenda but has been at the center of infighting among Democrats. "What we're seeing here is the dynamic where progressives are trying to skin this cat nine different ways but moderates are not really coming to the table," Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview on "Face the Nation." "This is the issue, is that we're saying, 'OK, we're going down from $6 trillion to $3 trillion, now it's $1 trillion, and we have some of these conservatives that say, 'Well, our line is zero, and you're lucky if you get $1.'" (Quinn, 10/3)
In related news —
The Wall Street Journal: Democrats Weigh Cutting Programs Or Reducing Scope To Trim $3.5 Trillion Bill
Democrats, working to unite around a far-reaching social policy and climate bill, are weighing two different approaches to reduce its overall cost: eliminating proposed programs entirely or cutting their duration. Democrats’ debate over the two options took on fresh urgency this weekend after President Biden said Friday that they would have to shrink the size of the legislation, projected to spend $3.5 trillion over a decade to expand and create education, healthcare, climate and other programs. (Duehren, 10/3)
Politico: Limiting Medicare Benefits Deepens Rift Among Hill Democrats
Means-testing Medicare, a long-running controversy in health policy debates, is re-emerging as a major source of tension for Democrats seeking a path forward on their stalled social spending package. Centrist lawmakers are demanding that an expansion of the program to cover dental, vision and hearing care be limited to the poorest Americans, to pare the projected cost by as much as half. (Ollstein, 10/1)
CNN: Top Democrats Disagree On Including Hyde Amendment In Economic Bill
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Sunday she would not support a sweeping economic bill if it includes the Hyde Amendment, adding another complicating factor to the ongoing negotiations among Democrats as they hash out details for the massive spending bill. The Hyde Amendment blocks federal funds from being used for most abortions except in cases of rape, incest or when the woman's life is in danger. (Duster, 10/3)
KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: The Health Agenda Still On Hold
Democrats on Capitol Hill missed their deadline to finish two huge bills that constitute the bulk of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, but negotiations continue over expansions to major health programs, as well as ways to rein in prescription drug costs. Meanwhile, the Biden administration issued regulations to implement last year’s law to limit “surprise” medical bills to patients who get care outside their insurance networks. Health providers — doctors and hospitals — are already complaining that they will be asked to pick up too much of the bill to protect patients. (10/1)
KHN: What The Stalemate On Capitol Hill Means For Your Drug Prices
As President Joe Biden’s government overhaul stalls in Congress, tensions are mounting over what changes ― if any ― could come for Americans at the pharmacy counter. The proposals in flux range from tinkering with tax credits to far-reaching changes in federal payments systems. (Tribble, 10/1)
And the events on Capitol Hill are affecting Virginia's gubernatorial race —
The Hill: Fight Over Biden Agenda Looms Large Over Virginia Governor's Race
The chaos surrounding President Biden’s agenda and Congress is threatening to spill into the Virginia governor’s race as Democrats look to defend the governor’s mansion in Richmond. The race is seen as a bellwether for next year’s midterm elections, a likely referendum on President Biden’s first two years in office. While the race is a state election, its geographic proximity to Washington and Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe’s ties to Biden could influence the results in November. (Manchester, 10/3)
