The House may have already logged off until after the midterms, but that doesn’t mean the rest of D.C. is on pause. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has a lot on its plate between nomination hearings and a member roundtable. Also, the administration is set for a showdown with Senate Democrats over federal spending. So, let’s get into it. Welcome to the Week Ahead!
The Administration
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is in the spotlight as the agency faces questions about the remainder of its fiscal year 2026 budget. Senate Appropriations Committee Democratic leadership have raised concerns that AHRQ is not on track to spend all of its appropriated funding before the end of the fiscal year on September 30 and instead plans to impound or transfer funding meant for grants to other agencies within the administration. Chris Klomp, the nominee for Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary, shared that AHRQ is currently on track to spend 97% of its appropriated budget by September 30 during his appearance before the Senate HELP Committee on September 16. Senate Democratic appropriators have demanded that HHS provide copies of all inter-agency agreements that AHRQ has entered into and how the department intends to get the remaining money out the door by the deadline. It will be important to watch how, if at all, the administration responds to the letter in the last full week before the week of September 30.
Meanwhile, the measles outbreak continues as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health disagree on recognizing measles-related deaths on the CDC’s weekly death tally. Pennsylvania requested additional funding to help control the outbreak, known as Epi-Aid, on the condition that the CDC does recognize the 4 measles-related deaths. A spokesperson from CDC has said that the agency has not received the formal request for Epi-Aid “through normal channels” and that “CDC will not allow Governor Shapiro [of Pennsylvania] to politicize this process.” During his appearance before the Senate HELP Committee, Chris Klomp shared that the CDC is currently working on a definition of “death due to measles” which could provide clarity across public health departments.
The Senate
It’s shaping up to be a busy week for the Senate HELP Committee. On September 24, the Committee will vote on nominees for US Surgeon General, Dr. Nicole Saphier; Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Dr. Timothy Westlake; and Assistant Secretary of Aging, Mary Lazare. Absent from the voting list is Sean Kaufman, nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, who testified before the committee in July. Mr. Kaufman previously ran into some opposition from some on the Committee due to his views on vaccines.
The committee will then move straight into its first hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Heidi Overton to be Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner. Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has called her views on changing the childhood vaccine schedule “almost disqualifying,” which suggests she has her work cut out for her to win his vote. Dr. Overton also has enemies within the Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement due to her views on weedkiller and food additives. Dr. Overton can take comfort in the fact that Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Ashley Moody (R-FL) have recently made statements in support of her nomination. However, she also needs to secure votes from more moderate Republican committee members, such as Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
As if all this wasn’t enough, the HELP Committee is also set to have a a member roundtable on fixes to the No Surprises Act. This could be one of Sen. Cassidy’s last initiatives as he approaches his final months in the Senate. It will be important to see if a bipartisan consensus can emerge on any reforms, particularly to the disagreements between insurers and providers over the independent dispute resolution process.
Other Health Care Hearings This Week
- September 23: Senate Aging Committee hearing on restoring America’s edge in generic drug manufacturing
The House
The House ended its session early and will not be back in DC until November 8, after the midterm elections.
Meanwhile, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) is beginning its 2026-2027 cycle with its September public meeting. The commission plans to discuss community engagement requirements in Medicaid, state-directed payments, self-directed home- and community-based services, assistive technology for adults, and more.
There You Have It
It’s the official start of fall and we’re looking forward to the cooler weather the change of seasons bring. What are you most looking forward to in fall? Let us know. Make it a great week!