House Parties

The Senate is in recess until July 8. The House returns tomorrow and will be in session until its Independence Day break next week. (Quick note: the Healthcare Preview will also be on break next week.)

While in session, the House has a very ambitious agenda that includes floor consideration of three appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025 on defense, homeland security and state-foreign operations. In the healthcare arena, the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee will host a hearing on value-based care. The committee is also expected to announce a markup of three bills impacting healthcare innovation related to Medicare coverage of GLP-1 medications for obesity, multi-cancer screening tests and breakthrough devices. However, this has not yet been formally added to the calendar. A full Energy and Commerce Committee markup of the American Privacy Rights Act also is expected on Thursday. The bill’s scope is broader than healthcare but has healthcare implications.

Also of note, the first of two planned presidential debates will take place July 27. As a reminder, these debates will not operate under the auspices of the Commission on Presidential Debates. CNN is hosting this one, although most other major networks will simulcast it. There will be no audience, and each candidate’s microphone will be muted when it isn’t his time to speak. The debate will include only President Biden and former president Trump because no third-party candidate met the CNN requirements to participate.

Elsewhere in government, the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to return 10 more rulings this season, including decisions on the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act, Chevron deference, and whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in the pending election interference case – all of which will have implications for healthcare. Currently, the Supreme Court only has Wednesday scheduled to release decisions, but because this is the last week scheduled to provide decisions, an additional day or two may be added to the calendar, or the release of decisions could roll into early July.

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