This month, Congress will be working to address many issues prior to July 4th. The House will vote on a gun violence prevention bill this week. The vote will likely be partisan, as House Republicans have objected to all these gun violence prevention measures. In the Senate, bipartisan discussions have produced guarded optimism about a potential compromise on a gun violence prevention bill. However, we have not seen text or an outline of what this bipartisan deal might include. Caution is appropriate.
Discussions regarding a revived reconciliation bill are receiving press attention as Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Manchin continue talks. Very little is known about what such a package could look like, however, and it would require unanimity among Democrats. Again, caution is appropriate.
Congress also needs to pass the User Fee Act (UFA) legislation prior to August 1, 2022, or the US Food and Drug Administration is expected to send furlough/layoff notices to staff. Congress is working to move mental health and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health legislation as well. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will mark-up the UFA bill this week. The House and Senate bills of the UFA text have different additional provisions, so compromises across the chambers and from external stakeholders will be necessary to move this across the finish line. But we expect that a lot of healthcare-related activity in the House will come together the week of June 20.
All of this activity is taking place while we await approximately 30 Supreme Court of the United States decisions in June, including an expected decision related to Roe v. Wade.
