POLICY BRIEFINGS

Pascrell to Chair Ways and Means Oversight Panel


Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) has been named chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight. Pascrell will succeed the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who passed away in July. Pascrell has vowed to hold President Trump’s White House accountable and ensure that the administration is implementing the laws under Ways and Means’ jurisdiction efficiently and according to congressional intent.


House GOP Push for Stand-Alone Extension of PPP


Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) has introduced a discharge petition to force a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives to extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Should the petition garner 218 signatures from lawmakers in the House, the chamber would be compelled to vote on a bill that would distribute the remaining $124 billion in current the PPP’s reserve funding following the program’s expiration on August 8.


HHS Personnel Update


Emily Newman and Catherine Granito have been transferred to the U.S. Agency for Global Media from their positions as liaisons between the White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The move was a joint decision by the White House and HHS, according to officials in the administration.


CBO Releases 2020 Long-Term Budget Outlook


The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released its latest budget forecast projecting that the federal debt will nearly double gross domestic product (GDP) by 2050. The 2020 Long-Term Budget Outlook estimates that debt will rise to 98 percent of GDP by the end of this year, from 79 percent prior to the pandemic in 2019, and reach 195 percent of GDP by 2050 – far exceeding the nation’s previous record of 106 percent following World War II. CBO’s report projects that mandatory government spending will increase from 13 percent of GDP last year to 17.5 percent in 2050. Interest on the debt is expected to quadruple as a percentage of GDP in the same time period – from 1.8 percent of GDP in 2019 to 8.1 percent of GDP in 2050, exceeding all discretionary spending by 2043.


Hart Health Strategies COVID-19 Resources


Hart Health Strategies Inc. continues to update the following resources related to the coronavirus pandemic. Please remember to clear your cache to ensure you download the most recent documents.


Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups


House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing “Unsustainable Drug Prices: Testimony from CEOs, Part I;” 10:00 a.m., remote; September 30

House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee hearing “MISSION Critical: Assessing Community Care Wait Times;” 10:00 a.m., House Visitors Center Room 210; September 30

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Pathway to a Vaccine: Ensuring a Safe and Effective Vaccine People Will Trust;” 11:30 a.m., remote; September 30

House Veterans’ Affairs hearing “Examining VA’s Ongoing Efforts in the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program;” 2:30 p.m., House Visitors Center Room 210; September 30

Senate Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee hearing “Supply Chain Integrity;” 9:15 a.m., G50 Dirksen Bldg.; October 1

House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing “Unsustainable Drug Prices: Testimony from CEOs, Part II;” 10:00 a.m., remote; October 1

House Small Business Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations Subcommittee hearing “Preventing Fraud and Abuse of PPP and EIDL: An Update with the SBA Office of Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office;” 10:00 a.m., 2360 Rayburn Bldg.; October 1

House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing with Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II; 9:00 a.m., 2154 Rayburn Bldg.; October 2

House Armed Services and House Foreign Affairs Committees joint hearing “Strengthening Biological Security: Traditional Threats and Emerging Challenges;” 10:00 a.m., 2172 Rayburn Bldg.; October 2



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