Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Veterans Committee Dems Vow To Investigate Reports Of 'Shadow Rulers' Exerting Influence On VA Decision-Making
The Hill: Dems Aim To Balance Oversight, Bipartisanship On VA Committee
House Democrats are planning to step up oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) next year with their new majority, probing topics from underperforming health centers and steps toward privatization to reports of “shadow rulers” at the VA. Democrats say that while they want to maintain the bipartisan nature of the 24-member House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, they also need to hold the Trump administration accountable if there are abuses. (Sullivan, 11/13)
The Washington Post: House Science Committee’s Likely Next Chair Wants A Return To Science
As soon as it became clear that Democrats would gain control of the House of Representatives after the midterm elections, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.) announced that she was seeking the chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. Johnson, 82, plans to make the committee “a place where science is respected and recognized,” she said in a statement Tuesday night. In 2010, she became the first female and first African American ranking member of the science committee. Johnson, trained as a psychiatric nurse, has served on the committee for more than two decades. If she secures the chair, she will succeed Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), who has held the position since 2013. (Guarino, 11/12)
