May 10, 2021 - 01:50 PM
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health Resources and Services Administration should disaggregate and analyze maternal health data for rural and underserved communities, and adjust maternal health program efforts to meet the needs in those communities, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released today. It also recommended the Department of Health and Human Services’ workgroups coordinate their approaches for monitoring maternal health efforts.
GAO reviewed nationwide data from CDC s Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System from 2011 to 2016, and found that pregnancy-related deaths were higher in rural than metropolitan areas. It also found higher estimated rates of severe maternal morbidity in metropolitan than rural areas based on data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for 2016 to 2018. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., and Ranking Member Kevin Brady, R-Texas, requested
Bipartisan focus intensifies for crucial weeks ahead as path narrows on infrastructure
President Joe Biden and senior congressional Democrats plan to make a sustained push for a bipartisan agreement on a scaled-back infrastructure proposal over the next two weeks, according to aides and White House officials.
In the latest sign that Democratic leaders are giving bipartisan talks their blessings, aides say that a timeline for passing a budget resolution, the first step in the process that would allow Democrats to pass legislation without GOP votes, has slipped past May.
Biden has also made clear he sees the coming weeks as a key test for whether the parties can find a path forward, officials say. He’s instructed his staff to engage in continued negotiations and invited the lead Senate GOP negotiator, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, to the White House next week and informed her she could choose the colleagues she wants to attend, according to one official. He’ll also
SECURE Act 2.0 Passed Unanimously by Ways and Means Committee
A rare unanimous affirmative voice vote by the Ways and Means Committee allows the SECURE Act 2.0 to be considered by the full House of Representatives.
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The Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to advance the Securing a Strong Retirement Act for future consideration by the full chamber.
Led by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts, and Ranking Member Kevin Brady, R-Texas, the committee members spoke one after another in praise of the legislation, which they refer to as the “SECURE Act 2.0,” a reference to 2019’s Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. They used words such as “joy” and “delight” to describe their feelings about the advancement of the bill, which has been the recipient of significant support from all facets of the retirement planning industry.
Hill Democrats aren’t waiting for Biden on health care reforms
Congressional Democrats are not waiting around for President Joe Biden to propose big changes they want to see in the nation’s health care system, including reducing drug prices and expanding Medicare.
Committee chairs in both chambers are working on aggressive steps to broaden benefits and government involvement in health care. The push has won the support of party leaders, though still faces many challenges to making it into the bills, much less becoming law.
Biden has moved swiftly on less controversial measures, including bolstering the Affordable Care Act and reversing several of former President Donald Trump’s efforts to weaken the landmark health reform law and Medicaid.