We’ve reached the week of the March 14 deadline for when the current continuing resolution to keep the government open expires. Meanwhile, the House and Senate remain far apart on budget reconciliation, the Senate continues churning President Trump’s nominees, and the White House seeks to clarify Elon Musk’s role in the administration. So, with that, let’s get into it. Welcome to the Week Ahead!
The Administration
To say Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has disrupted Washington is about as much of an understatement as saying Elon Musk is a car salesman. From prompting mass protests to filling up the chairs in town hall meetings across the country, DOGE is making itself known. But there are still a lot of questions about what DOGE’s role is. President Trump sought to clarify that role with a Truth Social post in which he praised DOGE but also said he was instructing DOGE to work with cabinet secretaries to be “very precise” about future staffing decisions, stating a preference for the “scalpel” rather than the “hatchet.”
We don’t know how things will play out if Musk and cabinet secretaries disagree about distinguishing the scalpel from the hatchet. We do know that DOGE continues to disrupt things in Washington, and we don’t expect that to change. Case in point, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent most of its employees a $25,000 buyout offer. Responses are due March 14.
In non-DOGE news, we are watching the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which as of March 7, has received 7 rules including hospital inpatient, inpatient psych, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing, hospice, Medicare Advantage, and the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace. That last one could set off a firestorm if it makes major changes to the Marketplace that are seen as weakening protections put in place by the Biden administration to help people sign up, or stay on, ACA plans.
The Senate
All eyes are on Dr. Mehmet Oz’s nomination hearing on March 14 for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator. Expect questions about DOGE and access to agency data to be a top question from Democrats. Additionally, Medicare Advantage should come up, given his past support of the program as a Senate candidate.
The Senate HELP Committee is cranking through its noms. The Committee will vote on Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya for National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Dr. Martin Makary for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 13, giving them a shot at being confirmed by the Senate before their recess week of March 17. Additionally, the Committee will consider the nomination of Dr. David Weldon to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on March 13. Watch for vaccine policy to dominate this hearing, including a review of Dr. Weldon’s past statements about the possible connections between certain vaccines and autism.
Another hearing to watch this week is the Senate Special Committee on Aging March 12 hearing on “breaking the cycle of senior loneliness.” Pay attention to any comments related to the administration’s recent Medicaid bulletin pulling back on health-related social needs.
The House
House Republicans unveiled bill text for a continuing resolution (C.R.) to keep the government funded through the rest of the fiscal year (September 30). The bill also extends certain health care policies, including telehealth flexibilities, through September 30. Notably, the bill does not include anything to address physicians’ concerns about Medicare reimbursement cuts. The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet to consider the bill on March 10, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is planning to have the House vote on the bill on March 11. The Speaker can only lose one Republican if Democrats unite against the bill. Two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Tony Gonzalez (R-TX), have expressed opposition to the C.R., but the bill does have the support of House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-MD). House Democratic leadership has expressed opposition to the bill, but individual Democrats could decide to vote for the bill if the alternative is shutting down the government.
A bill also must pass in the Senate with 60 votes before it makes it to the President’s desk. A big question that remains unanswered is if passage of a “full-year C.R.” triggers mandatory spending cuts under the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023 (1% below FY 2023 appropriations). It will be up to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Office of Management and the Budget (OMB) to report on any breaches of the FRA’s enforcement caps.
We are also tracking some House health care hearings scheduled for March 11. The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee is holding a hearing on access to post-acute care and the House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee is a holding a legislative hearing on 15 bills.
There You Have It
NCAA basketball’s Selection Sunday is coming up on March 16. Who are you rooting for? Will you be filling out a bracket? Let us know. Make it a great week!
