Washington Highlights: June 20,
2008
Contents
Prior Issues
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House Passes Supplemental Appropriations with
Medicaid Moratorium Extension and Increased Research Funding
The House of Representatives June 19 passed a Fiscal Year (FY)
2008 emergency supplemental appropriations package that includes
provisions to delay until April 1, 2009, the Medicaid GME proposed
rule; Medicaid final rule regarding cost limit/units of government
(the "IGT rule"); and four other Medicaid regulations.
The moratorium does not apply to the proposed rule affecting certain
outpatient clinic and hospital services.
The Medicaid provisions are part of a large domestic spending amendment
that passed by an overwhelming majority (416-12).
The domestic spending amendment also contains $400 million in FY
2008 funding for science "for important investments to improve
America's global competitiveness, energy efficiency, and medical
research." This includes $150 million for the National Institutes
of Health, to be distributed on a pro-rata basis across the institutes
and centers; $62.5 million for the National Science Foundation;
$125 million for the Department of Energy; and $62.5 million for
NASA. The supplemental also includes an additional $150 million
for the Food and Drug Administration, to be available until Sept.
30, 2009.
Shortly before the vote, the Administration issued a Statement
of Administration Policy (SAP) in support of the House package,
stating that "it is consistent with the principles laid out
by the President for an acceptable bill." According to the
SAP, the Administration is pleased "that Congress did not enact
a full moratorium on all seven Medicaid regulations." However,
the SAP "calls on Congress to do more to address the very serious
issue of waste, fraud, and abuse" in the Medicaid program."
During debate over the supplemental spending bill, House Majority
Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) stated that he was "pleased the
Administration has joined us" in support of delaying action
on the Medicaid regulations. House Minority Leader John Boehner
(R-Ohio) thanked House Democrats "for working with us to get
to this point." He added that "this is the bill that will
end up on the President's desk."
Information:
Christiane Mitchell, Senior Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
cmitchell@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
Dave Moore, Senior Director
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
House Subcommittee Approves HHS Funding Bill
The House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee June
19 marked up its FY 2009 spending bill. The budget tables and other
information on the bill have been embargoed until the full committee
mark-up. However, some details were made available in a press statement
by Subcommittee Chair David Obey (D-Wis.), who also chairs the full
Appropriations Committee.
The press statement notes the House bill "provides a $1.2
billion increase over last year and the [President's] request, so
that NIH can capitalize on unprecedented scientific opportunities
to reduce the disease burden on the country. This increase is the
largest in six years. More than 1,000 new research grants will be
supported."
Sources within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
report the increase in the House bill for NIH is $1.15 billion.
As the version of the war supplemental passed by the House June
19 includes an additional $150 million in FY 2008 funding for NIH
(see related story), the increase in the
FY 2009 House bill for NIH would be $1 billion over the FY 2008
total.
According to Chairman Obey's statement, the Labor-HHS mark also
rejects the President's proposed $240 million cut to the Title VII
health professions and Title VIII nursing education programs and
"invests an additional $69 million over last year to train
the doctors, nurses, and other health professionals that the country
will need to ensure that more people get the quality health care
they need and deserve."
The full committee is tentatively scheduled to consider the bill
on June 25. However, the full committee postponed mark-ups for several
bills this week to complete work on the supplemental, which may
delay the Labor-HHS mark-up.
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Director
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Tannaz Rasouli, Senior Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
trasouli@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Senate Committee Sets 302(b) Subcommittee Allocations
The Senate Appropriations Committee June 19 approved the 302(b)
allocations for FY 2009, which will serve as the spending caps
for the 12 subcommittees' appropriations bills. In total, the Senate
approved $1,012.69 billion for FY 2009, a $72.38 billion (7.7 percent)
over FY 2008 and $21.1 billion over the President's budget request.
The White House has threatened to veto any spending bills that exceed
the President's request.
The committee approved a Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee allocation
of $153.139 billion, a $7.991 billion (5.5 percent) increase over
the subcommittee's FY 2008 allocation and $18 million more than
the June 13 draft House
allocation. The Senate Labor-HHS-Education allocation is nearly
$7.8 billion over the President's budget request.
The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs subcommittee receives
a $73 billion allocation, a $9.195 billion (14.4 percent) increase
over the FY 2008 level and $271 million more than the House allocation.
The Senate Mil.Con.-VA allocation is $3.6 billion over the President's
budget request.
The House Appropriations Committee was scheduled to give formal
approval to its allocations June 18, but postponed consideration
to finish work on the FY 2008 emergency supplemental (see
related story).
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Director
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Senate Panels Approve FY 2009 NSF Increase
The Senate Appropriations Committee June 19 approved an FY 2009
spending bill that reportedly provides $6.9 billion for the National
Science Foundation (NSF), an approximate increase of $830 million
(13.6 percent) over the funding provided in the FY 2008 Consolidated
Appropriations Act. The subcommittee had approved the bill June
18.
According to a statement by Senate Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee
Chair Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), within the NSF total, the bill provides
$790 million for education and training programs in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The education funding
level represents a $64.4 million (8.2 percent) increase.
The NSF total matches the funding level approved June 12 by the
subcommittee's House counterpart [see Washington
Highlights, June 13].
The full House Appropriations Committee was scheduled to consider
the bill June 19, but the markup was postponed to allow staff to
complete work on the FY 2008 supplemental spending bill (see
related story).
In addition to emergency war funding and domestic policy and spending
provisions, the latest
House-passed version of the supplemental provides $400 million
in FY 2008 science funding, including a $62.5 million for NSF. The
NSF total includes $22.5 million for research and related activities
(with $5 million designated for the EPSCoR program) and $40 million
for education (with $20 million designated for the Robert Noyce
Scholarship Program). The Senate had included $200 million for the
NSF in the supplemental.
Information:
Tannaz Rasouli, Senior Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
trasouli@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
House Subcommittees Explore Proposal to Amend
the Federal False Claims Act
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual
Property and Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law June
19 held a joint legislative hearing
on the "False Claims Act Correction Act" (H.R.
4854). Supporters of the legislation say it addresses concerns
that recent federal court decisions have narrowed the application
of the federal False Claims Act since it was last amended in 1986.
H.R. 4854 was introduced on Dec. 19, 2007, by Reps. Howard (D-Calif.),
the chair of the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual
Property, and James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). The Senate Judiciary
Committee April 3 approved similar legislation (S.
2041), sponsored by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) [see Washington
Highlights, April 4].
The AAMC joined 19 organizations on a June 18 letter
to Reps. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), and Lamar Smith (R-Texas),
the chair and ranking member, respectively of the House Judiciary
Committee, opposing H.R. 4854. The letter stated "these amendments
are unnecessary and will impose enormous burdens on non-profits,
universities, hospitals, and businesses of all sizes." The
American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals
also signed the letter, which was organized by the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform.
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Director
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
On the Hill
Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) July 19 was sworn into the House of
Representatives, returning the chamber to its full 435 members.
Rep. Edwards succeeds Rep. Albert Wynn, who retired before the end
of his term after losing the Feb. 12 Democratic primary. Rep. Edwards
won a June 17 special election to serve the remainder of Rep Wynn's
term and will be up for re-election in November. Her arrival brings
the total number of women representatives to 75, breaking the record
set earlier in the 110th Congress.
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