Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Sends Sweeping Spending Bill With Tobacco Age Ban, Gun Violence Funding To Trump
Reuters: U.S. Congress Approves Massive Funding Bills To Avert Government Shutdowns
The U.S. Senate, rushing to meet a looming deadline, approved and sent to President Donald Trump a $1.4 trillion package of fiscal 2020 spending bills that would end prospects of government shutdowns at week's end when temporary funding expires. By strong bipartisan margins and with White House backing, the Senate passed the two gigantic funding bills for government programs through Sept. 30. (Cowan, 12/19)
The Associated Press: Big Spending Bill Wins Senate OK, Has Victories All Around
The legislation delivers Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence and gives Democrats long-sought domestic spending increases and a repeal of Obama-era taxes on high-cost health insurance plans. It blends spending increases for both sides — reelection fodder for lawmakers — with tax and benefit add-ons that will mean a roughly $400 billion boost to the deficit over 10 years. (Taylor, 12/19)
The New York Times: Congress Approves Raising Age To 21 For E-Cigarette And Tobacco Sales
The House and Senate have now passed a provision that would ban the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes to anyone under 21, at a time when Congress and the Trump administration are facing public pressure to reduce the soaring rates of teenage vaping. President Trump has spoken in favor of increasing the age limit, and is expected to sign the measure into law as part of the overall spending package. Nineteen states and more than 500 cities and towns have already raised the age to 21. (Kaplan, 12/19)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Raises Tobacco-Buying Age To 21
If signed into law, the new restriction would take effect in September. Altria Group Inc. and Reynolds American Inc., the two biggest U.S. cigarette manufacturers, both supported the age restriction, as did Juul Labs Inc., the startup that has been blamed by health officials for the rise in teenage e-cigarette use. President Trump also supported the measure. He first voiced support for it in November after backing away from a plan to pull from the U.S. market all e-cigarettes except for those that taste like tobacco. (Maloney, 12/19)
Modern Healthcare: Senate Passes Spending Bill That Delays DSH Cuts, Repeals ACA Taxes
However, major legislation to protect consumers from surprise medical bills and high drug costs was not included. The deal extended funding for several Medicare and Medicaid priorities for five months, which could be another vehicle for action on the issues in 2020. However, many lobbyists are skeptical that lawmakers will come together on bipartisan legislation just six months before a presidential election. (Cohrs, 12/19)
Politico: Congress Sends Spending Deal To Trump, Ending Shutdown Threat
Although congressional leaders are months late in completing the fiscal 2020 bills, the deal came together with stunning speed in recent days. Top appropriators had only agreed in late November on how to divvy the funding among the dozen annual spending bills, leaving just over three and a half weeks for negotiating specific budgets and demands for the thousands of federal agencies and programs those measures fund. (Scholtes and Emma, 12/19)
