The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs stamped their tickets to the Super Bowl in the NFC and AFC championship games. Not to be outdone, Washington D.C. continues to produce a lot of political gamesmanship. We have updates on the state of those political games, so let’s get into it. Welcome to the Week Ahead!
The Administration
Acting Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Dr. Dorothy Fink, issued an internal memo on January 21 directing staff to refrain from issuing communications until at least February 1 unless a presidential appointee has reviewed and approved it. There are exceptions for “mission critical” communications, but there are still concerns about the impact the pause could have on public health. As interested parties await the break in silence, they also hold their breaths as they look towards the nomination hearings of HHS leaders from RFK Jr. on down.
However, a communications freeze does not mean the department is waiting to move on policy. Case in point: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially withdrew the menthol ban that had been lingering at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) since October 2023. President Trump has also taken several executive actions that directly or indirectly impact health care policy. These include:
- Scrapping plans for a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) model that would have limited out-of-pocket costs for generic drugs as part of a broader Executive Order rescinding several Biden era policies.
- Allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to enter hospitals to detain migrants..
- Beginning the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Senate
RFK Jr. will have the chance to make his case before the Senate Finance Committee on January 29 and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on January 30. Only the Senate Finance Committee will have a vote on the nomination, but both hearings matter as they will give key senators on both sides of the aisle opportunities to have their say.
RFK Jr. faces challenges from both the left and right. In the January 20 edition of the Week Ahead, we told you about an anti-RFK advertising campaign from the progressive group 314 Action. On January 22, the conservative group Advancing American Freedom announced its own advertising campaign to prevent RFK’s confirmation. Ultimately, it will be up to Senators to decide if the arguments from these strange bedfellows hold any weight.
Also this week: The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs (VA) will be holding a hearing on the VA’s Community Care Program on January 28. This follows a House VA Committee hearing on the same topic on January 22.
The House
The House is in recess, but members are meeting with Trump in Florida. We will be watching for any news from this meeting in the White House’s southern wing.
Eyes will also be on Florida as primary elections are held for the seats left open by former Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1) and Michael Waltz (R-FL-6). These are especially important as Republicans in the House have a razor thin majority.
There You Have It
Super Bowl Sunday is coming up! Who are you rooting for? Let us know! Make it a great week!