Health Care Checkup
February 26, 2021
THE BIG PICTURE
Today, the House is expected to vote on President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (H.R. 1319). The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package includes the recommendations of nine House committees and was advanced by the House Budget Committee on Monday. Leader Hoyer said that “This comprehensive package will expand testing and vaccine distribution to keep Americans safe and hasten the end of this dark chapter in our history. It will extend aid to businesses and workers to help them get by until it is safe to reopen fully, and it will provide teachers and school districts with resources for safe in-person learning.” However, Republicans are widely opposing the package, and GOP Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) said this week that she does not expect any Republicans to vote in favor of the package when it reaches the Senate floor.
 
On Thursday evening, it was announced that the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, determined that the $15 per hour minimum wage provision could be not included in the budget reconciliation. In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “We are not going to give up the fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 to help millions of struggling American workers and their families. The American people deserve it, and we are committed to making it a reality.”
 
This week, Xavier Becerra, the current Attorney General of California, went before the Senate Health, Education Labor & Pensions (HELP) and Finance Committees to face questioning regarding his nomination as the Biden Administration’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Both Republican and Democratic senators questioned Becerra on issues related to the cost of insurance premiums, prescription drugs, and medical care. It is possible that the Senate Finance Committee may vote on his nomination as early as next week. 

The FDA announced that Pfizer’s COVID vaccine can be shipped and stored at “conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to two weeks.” This change will potentially expedite the shipping and distribution process.
 
An analysis posted on Wednesday by the U.S. Food Drug Administration (FDA) affirmed that Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective. The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine for emergency use authorization (EUA). Last month, the company released data demonstrating that its vaccine was 72% effective in the U.S. and 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 28 days after vaccination.
 
On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on COVID vaccines. Johnson & Johnson’s Vice President of Medical Affairs, Dr. Richard Nettles, said that the company is on track to ship out 20 million doses by the end of next month. Pfizer and Moderna are also on track to deliver a combined 220 million doses of their two-dose vaccines by the end of March. By the end of June 2021, the U.S. is expected to have enough doses to vaccinate approximately 700 million people, which may create a surplus, as the U.S. only has a population of about 330 million.
 
A study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Pfizer’s COVID vaccine performs as well in the “real world” as it did in clinical trials.

On Wednesday, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) to help create “more resilient and secure supply chains for critical and essential goods” in the U.S. The pandemic has highlighted gaps in the supply chain, which have contributed to shortages throughout it. The Administration states that the EO will also “facilitate needed investments to maintain America’s competitive edge and strengthen U.S. national security.”
What to Expect Next Week: The Budget Reconciliation bill will advance to the Senate where the Senate will begin its consideration of the package. Stay tuned as we will continue to monitor this as it unfolds.
 
Also next week, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled, "The Future of Telehealth: How COVID-19 is Changing the Delivery of Virtual Care." 
DEEP DIVE
House Set to Vote on American Rescue Plan Friday
 
The House will vote on President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (H.R. 1319) today. The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package includes the recommendations of nine House committees and was advanced by the House Budget Committee on Monday. On Friday, the Office of Management and Budget released a Statement of Administrative Policy in support of the American Rescue Plan. Leader Hoyer said that, “This comprehensive package will expand testing and vaccine distribution to keep Americans safe and hasten the end of this dark chapter in our history. It will extend aid to businesses and workers to help them get by until it is safe to reopen fully, and it will provide teachers and school districts with resources for safe in-person learning.” However, Republicans are widely opposing the package, and GOP Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) said this week that she does not expect any Republicans to vote in favor of the package when it reaches the Senate floor. At a virtual roundtable that President Biden held this week with Black essential workers, he acknowledged that votes on the relief plan will be close.
 
On Thursday evening, it was announced that the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, determined that the $15 per hour minimum wage provision could be not included in the budget reconciliation. In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “We are not going to give up the fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 to help millions of struggling American workers and their families. The American people deserve it, and we are committed to making it a reality.” Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced their own minimum wage proposal on Tuesday. The Senators’ plan calls for increasing the national minimum wage to $10 per hour four years after the pandemic is over and requires the use of E-Verify. It is unlikely that Democrats will support this proposal. It has also been reported that many Republican lawmakers are opposed to the COBRA subsidies laid out in the House Democrats’ package. This week, Republicans are expected to urge the Senate parliamentarian to eliminate the provision, which subsidizes health coverage for laid-off workers, from the bill. However, Democrats remain confident that the COBRA subsidies will make it into the final bill.
 
Biden’s Pick to Lead HHS Goes Before Two Senate Committees for Confirmation Hearings
 
This week, Xavier Becerra, the current Attorney General of California, went before the Senate Health, Education Labor & Pensions (HELP) and Finance Committees to face questioning regarding his nomination as the Biden Administration’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Both Republican and Democratic senators questioned Becerra on issues related to the cost of insurance premiums, prescription drugs, and medical care. While Becerra did not go into great detail on these matters, he did emphasize multiple times that, if confirmed to lead HHS, he would work to ensure that the minority populations hit the hardest by COVID-19 are vaccinated quickly. GOP lawmakers also pressed Becerra on his position on Medicare for All. Becerra assured them that he would build on the existing private sector insurance market, rather than push for Medicare for All. Becerra also expressed his support for President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan. Additionally, Becerra said that, if confirmed, he would recuse himself from all lawsuits that he has been involved with as the Attorney General of California. Becerra is likely to be confirmed when the Senate votes, as Democrats now narrowly control the Senate.
 
COVID-19 Vaccine Updates
 
An analysis posted on Wednesday by the U.S. Food Drug Administration (FDA) affirmed that Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective. The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine for emergency use authorization (EUA). Last month, the company released data demonstrating that its vaccine was 72% effective in the U.S. and 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 28 days after vaccination. Additionally, the vaccine was 85% effective overall in preventing severe disease and 100% effective at preventing COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths, as of day 28.
 
On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on COVID vaccines. Johnson & Johnson’s Vice President of Medical Affairs, Dr. Richard Nettles, said that the company is on track to ship out 20 million doses by the end of next month. Pfizer and Moderna are also on track to deliver a combined 220 million doses of their two-dose vaccines by the end of March. By the end of June 2021, the U.S. is expected to have enough doses to vaccinate approximately 700 million people, which may create a surplus, as the U.S. only has a population of about 330 million.
 
A study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that Pfizer’s COVID vaccine performs as well in the “real world” as it did in clinical trials. The study, which was conducted in Israel, consisted of approximately 1,200,000 individuals, half of whom were vaccinated and half of whom were not. An author of the study, Ran Balicer, said that, “The vaccine fulfilled the promise that was there. And it was somewhat of a surprise to see that in a real-world setting, a vaccine was able to perform as well as it did in the very controlled setting of a clinical trial.”
 
The FDA announced on Thursday that Pfizer’s COVID vaccine can be shipped and stored at “conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to two weeks.” This change will potentially expedite the shipping and distribution process.
 
Biden Signs Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains

On Wednesday, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) to help create “more resilient and secure supply chains for critical and essential goods” in the U.S. The pandemic has highlighted gaps in the supply chain, which have contributed to shortages throughout it. The Administration states that the EO will also “facilitate needed investments to maintain America’s competitive edge and strengthen U.S. national security.” The Order will first direct an immediate 100-day review across federal agencies to examine vulnerabilities in the supply chains of four key products: (1) active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), (2) critical minerals, (3) semiconductors, and (4) large capacity batteries. The EO also calls for an in-depth one-year review of a broader set of U.S. supply chains. This review will include a focus on six key sectors: “the defense industrial base; the public health and biological preparedness industrial base; the information and communications technology (ICT) industrial base; the energy sector industrial base; the transportation industrial base; and supply chains for agricultural commodities and food production.” Federal Agencies and Departments will be directed to review risks to their supply chains and industrial bases and will be directed to make specific policy recommendations to address such risks. The Administration will also consult with external stakeholders to help secure America’s supply chain. More information can be found in the fact sheet here.
Biden Administration Announces that Masks will be Shipped to Communities Hardest Hit by Pandemic
 
On Wednesday, it was announced that the Biden Administration will “deliver more than 25 million masks to over 1,300 Community Health Centers across the country, as well as 60,000 food pantries and soup kitchens, reaching some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations.” The initiative is part of the President’s national strategy to defeat the coronavirus pandemic. The Administration said that the masks will be consistent with the mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will be made in America. HHS, in partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD), will deliver millions of masks to Federally Qualified Community Health Centers, which serve many minority populations and those living in poverty. The Department of Agriculture, working alongside the DOD, will also deliver masks to food banks across the country. Recipients of the masks will be encouraged to take two masks for each person in their household.
 
HHS Writes Letter Addressing Efforts to Assist Racial and Ethnic Groups Disproportionately Affected by COVID-19
On February 19, Roslyn Holliday Moore, Acting Director of the Office of Minority Health at HHS, sent a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) that addressed ways in which the Department has tried to assist minority communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, in June 2020, Chairman Neal sent a letter to then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar, asking how HHS was navigating helping those most impacted by COVID. This month, Moore responded to Neal with a detailed letter outlining the ways that HHS is addressing disparities resulting from the pandemic. Neal issued a statement expressing his gratitude for the Acting Director’s response. To view the letter, click here.
SENATE HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
N/A
HOUSE HEARINGS AND EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure - Subcommittee on Aviation Hearing: "COVID-19's Effects on U.S. Aviation and the Flight Path to Recovery."
Tuesday, March 2 at 10:00 AM ET
                 
House Committee on Appropriations - Subcommittee on the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Hearing: Health and Safety Protections for Meatpacking, Poultry, and Agricultural Workers
Tuesday, March 2 at 10:00 AM ET
 
House Committee on Energy and Commerce - Subcommittee on Health Hearing: "The Future of Telehealth: How COVID-19 is Changing the Delivery of Virtual Care"
Tuesday, March 2 at 10:30 AM ET
ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
 
Food and Drug Administration
 
Guidance Documents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institutes of Health
QUICK LINKS
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