They’re back: Congress returns to Washington
Congress’ two-week recess has officially ended, with the House returning tomorrow and the Senate back in session today. Both chambers are returning to full agendas, with attention focused on budget hearings, ongoing discussions around funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and continued speculation about a potential “Reconciliation 2.0” package.
In the near term, much of the focus will be on whether the Senate takes steps to advance funding for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, potentially through a narrower reconciliation vehicle. The House, for its part, is not expected to take up DHS funding legislation this week, as leadership continues to wait for greater clarity on the viability and scope of a reconciliation package in the Senate before moving forward. We will be watching closely for any movement in the Senate.
Healthcare action will be centered at the committee level this week, where there are certainly no shortage of healthcare-related hearings. On Tuesday, the House Committee on Ways and Means’ Health Subcommittee will hold a hearing at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida, on modernizing healthcare to improve chronic disease prevention and incentivizing healthcare innovation. On Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Government Operations Subcommittee will hold a hearing to discuss fraud prevention in state-run, federally funded programs, and the House Committee on Energy and Commence, Health Subcommittee will also hold a hearing to review public health legislation.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy has a particularly big week, with plans to testify in front of three separate House committees as a champion of the president’s fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget priorities for HHS. Secretary Kennedy will testify in front of the House Ways and Means Committee at 9 am Thursday and then in an afternoon appearance at the House Appropriations Committee Labor HHS Subcommittee that same day, and wraps up with an appearance at the House Committee on Education and Workforce on Friday at 9 am.
On the regulatory front, we are still reviewing Friday’s release of the FY 2027 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) proposed rule and the Interoperability Standards and Prior Authorization for Drugs proposed rule, and continue to watch out for the federal independent dispute resolution operations rule and the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027.
In this week’s Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Maddie News to discuss reconciliation 2.0 and upcoming hearings with HHS Secretary Kennedy.
