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Politico
5 days ago
- Health
- Politico
Trump's next health nominee in the hot seat
Presented by With help from Simon Levien Driving the Day CHRISTINE FACES QUESTIONING — President Donald Trump's choice for a top post at HHS, Dr. Brian Christine, goes before senators today for a confirmation hearing. Christine will face questioning from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee as lawmakers consider his nomination to be assistant secretary for health — one of the highest-ranking jobs at HHS and a position often held by admirals in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Why it matters: If he advances through the committee and is eventually confirmed by the full Senate, Christine, a men's sexual health doctor and GOP donor, would oversee thousands of uniformed public-health service members and be charged with carrying out Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s public health agenda, Simon reports. One of the highest-ranking positions at the agency, the assistant secretary for health advises the HHS secretary and recommends policy related to public health matters like disease prevention, vaccine programs and health disparities. He would also help lead a new HHS office called the Administration for a Healthy America, which consolidates existing agency offices to focus on primary care, maternal and child health, mental health, environmental health, HIV/AIDS and workforce development. Background: Christine, a urologic surgeon at Urology Centers of Alabama, has previously criticized the acceptance of transgender health care and the federal government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. He's expressed opposition to trans athletes competing in women's sports and has said on his podcast — called 'Common Sense,' and last airing two years ago — that children experiencing gender dysphoria should seek counseling or 'pastoral care,' not gender-affirming treatments. He's also come under scrutiny after The Wall Street Journal reported in March that his Alabama urology practice advertised its work treating transgender men with erectile dysfunction. Christine has denied treating trans patients. Since taking office, Trump has directed HHS to restrict access to gender-affirming care treatments for children and teens. The Alabama GOP has praised Christine's nomination, calling him 'a longtime Conservative grassroots activist and dedicated supporter of the Alabama Republican Party.' In 2024, Christine contributed more than $8,500 to Trump's campaign. Key context: Dr. Rachel Levine, a pediatrician and the highest-ranking openly trans person to serve at the federal level, held the job during the Biden administration. Levine, who used the post to advocate gender-affirming care, was frequently the target of anti-trans attacks from Trump and his allies. WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY PULSE. Today marks the third anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and awareness of the hotline is up dramatically from 2022, according to a new National Alliance on Mental Illness poll. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to khooper@ and sgardner@ and follow along @kelhoops and @sophie_gardnerj. HAWLEY'S ABOUT-FACE — Just weeks after voting for massive cuts to Medicaid in the GOP's 'big, beautiful bill,' Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill Tuesday that would walk back those cuts. Hawley repeatedly voiced his opposition to deep Medicaid cuts throughout the megabill negotiation process, specifically provisions that would hit rural hospitals. But he ultimately voted 'yes' on the recently enacted legislation, which contains more than $1 trillion in health care cuts and a provision that would cap state provider taxes — a move that hospitals have said could deeply reduce their revenue and limit access to health care for millions of Medicaid enrollees. Hawley said he voted for the bill's passage after negotiating for the inclusion of a $50 billion rural hospital fund but said at the time that he would 'continue to do everything in my power to reverse future cuts to Medicaid.' His new legislation, the Protect Medicaid and Rural Hospitals Act, would repeal the megabill's moratorium on taxes that states impose on providers to generate more Medicaid funding, which helps boost payments to hospitals. Hawley's bill would repeal megabill provisions that reduce state-directed payments — which enable states to increase the rates that privately run Medicaid managed care plans reimburse providers. His legislation would also double the megabill's investment in the rural hospital fund to $100 billion and extend the fund from five to 10 years. 'President Trump has always said we have to protect Medicaid for working people. Now is the time to prevent any future cuts to Medicaid from going into effect,' Hawley said in a news release. Global Health PEPFAR U-TURN — Senate Republicans on Tuesday stripped cuts to global AIDs funding from the White House's $9.4 billion spending clawback request, POLITICO's Jordain Carney and Cassandra Dumay report. Republicans will remove a $400 million cut to the global AIDS program known as PEPFAR, reducing the amount of cuts in the package to $9 billion, said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), who's leading the rescissions effort in concert with the White House. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expects the removal to be the only change made to the rescissions package, adding that there was a 'lot of interest' among Senate Republicans to address the cut to the program created under then-President George W. Bush and credited with saving tens of millions of lives. News of the change came after White House Budget Director Russ Vought briefed senators during a closed-door lunch Tuesday. Schmitt said the White House is on board with the change. 'We're fine with adjustments,' Vought told reporters. 'This is still a great package, $9 billion, substantially the same package. The Senate has to work its will, and we've appreciated the work along the way to get to a place where they think they've got the votes.' Background: Several GOP senators, including Appropriations Chair Susan Collins of Maine, had raised concerns about the AIDS funding cuts. It's unclear whether the $400 million rollback will be enough to secure her vote, but it might placate enough Republicans to advance the package through the Senate. Other Republicans being watched closely are Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran. At the Agencies HOSPITAL PAY CUT — The Trump administration is proposing cutting $280 million in payments to certain hospital clinics for administering drugs to patients, POLITICO's Robert King reports. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the cut would ensure that Medicare beneficiaries aren't charged more for the same service at a hospital than at an independent clinic. The proposed rule is likely to generate fierce pushback from the hospital industry, which has successfully fought similar congressional efforts. The rule also outlines 2026 Medicare payment rates for hospital outpatient services and ambulatory surgical centers and includes new changes to boost price transparency. 'These reforms expand options and enforce the transparency Americans deserve to ensure they receive high-quality care without hidden costs,' CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said in a statement. Background: The first Trump administration adopted a policy in 2019 to lower payments for outpatient hospital clinics to align them with those of independent clinics. Now, CMS wants to expand that policy to include services for storing or administering pharmaceuticals to patients. The agency estimates the change will reduce Medicare spending by $280 million, with $210 million allocated to Medicare and $70 million to Medicare beneficiaries thanks to lower co-insurance rates, according to a fact sheet on the rule. Key context: Site-neutral payments — when Medicare pays the same amount for the same service regardless of where it's provided — have gotten bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. But packages have never made it across the finish line partly due to fervent lobbying from the hospital industry, which argues the payment cuts would imperil the finances of vulnerable hospitals. What's next: The rule has a 60-day comment period before final approval. WHAT WE'RE READING POLITICO's Lauren Gardner reports on Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal suggesting he's open to changing the federal vaccine injury program. KFF Health News' Darius Tahir reports in NPR that researchers fear a program that collects DNA data from millions of retired military service members could be in limbo. Endpoints News' Jared Whitlock reports on the Trump administration's disbanding of a newborn screening panel for rare conditions.
Politico
7 days ago
- Health
- Politico
Sexual health specialist up for big HHS role
AROUND THE AGENCIES Senators this week will hear from a doctor specializing in male sexual dysfunction who, if confirmed, will oversee Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s public health agenda. Brian Christine, a longtime GOP donor and two-time losing candidate for office in Alabama, will make his case Wednesday to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that he's qualified to be the Department of Health and Human Services' assistant secretary for health. Why it matters: Christine's remit at HHS would include areas of keen interest to Kennedy: a vaccine advisory committee and advisory panels on dietary guidance and physical fitness, among other responsibilities. The assistant secretary's office will likely see a major overhaul. Its previous mandate had included combatting health inequities among racial groups — a measure that President Donald Trump and Kennedy deemed divisive and ultimately ended. Christine is a urologist who specializes in erectile dysfunction and penile implant surgery. The Wall Street Journal reported in March that he'd advertised his services to transgender men. His predecessor in the job, Dr. Rachel Levine, was the highest-ranking openly transgender person to serve in the federal government and used the position to promote gender-affirming care. Despite his past ads, Christine said he'd never provided services to transgender men, and he's separately argued against the gender-affirmation model that major U.S. medical associations have embraced in treating transgender youth. Instead, he's urged 'corrective care' to help young people overcome gender dysphoria — the discomfort some transgender people experience when their bodies don't align with their gender. What's next? Before Christine can begin the job, the HELP Committee must vote to recommend him to the full Senate, which would then vote on whether to confirm him. WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. University of South Florida researchers say they're using artificial intelligence to evaluate whether facial expressions can help diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Danny Nguyen at dnguyen@ Carmen Paun at cpaun@ Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: Dannyn516.70, CarmenP.82, RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. WORLD VIEW The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, on Monday said countries in the bloc can implement their own national bans for minors on social media, our Eliza Gkritsi reports. The move comes after member states, including France, Denmark and Spain, have called for social media restrictions, with some criticizing the EU for not acting quickly enough. France and the Netherlands have supported an outright ban of social media for minors under 15. Greece has said it thinks parental consent should be required for children under a certain age. Denmark, which currently helms work in the Council of the EU, is pushing for stronger EU-level actions. The commission also released technical specifications for an age verification app that could help verify if users are over 18 by using IDs and even facial recognition. In the U.S.: Utah became the first state to require app stores, like Apple's and Google's, to check the age of people seeking to download social media apps. Kids under 18 have to get parental permission. A number of other states are considering similar bills and Rep. John James (R-Mich.) has proposed an age verification bill in Congress. But despite a lot of interest, Washington hasn't settled on a plan to protect kids online. Still, concern that social media is contributing to mental illness among children is widespread, with former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and a bipartisan group of 39 state attorneys general calling for warning labels last year.
American Press
09-07-2025
- Politics
- American Press
Cassidy says Trump budget bill ‘great news' for Americans
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. (Special to the American Press) President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' was signed into law by Trump on Friday. U.S. Sen. Cassidy, R-La., one of the 218 to vote in favor of the bill, said the bill's passage was the result of 'Republican's hard work.' While opponents of the bill have criticized cuts to social and health programs and increases in defense spending, and voiced concerns over long-term environmental effects, Republicans championed the bill as a salve for issues affecting the middle class. Cassidy is no exception. He called the legislation 'great news' for working and middle-income Americans, citing how it prevented the 'largest tax hike in history;' cut taxes on tips over time; 'secured the southern border; and expanded oil and gas production off the Louisiana coast, which should result in $100 million more funneled into Louisiana for coastal restoration issues, he said. 'We got it done. … Bottom line, this bill helps families who feel as if they've been left behind for decades. I worked hard to get a lot of stuff in this bill, stuff that's good for our country, good for our state and good for families.' Cassidy, who is the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, spearheaded the 'Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). This legislation, which was included in the 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' is the first federal school choice legislation to be signed into law. ECCA establishes a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit, up to $10 billion annually, for individuals and organizations' donations to scholarship-granting organizations, which distribute school-choice scholarships. This legislation is a step towards empowering parents to make educational decisions for their children, Cassidy said. 'President Trump and I are in agreement, a child should never be stuck in a failing school when mom or dad, usually mom, knows there's a better school right around the corner. He also 'worked to strengthen and protect Medicaid' in the 'Big, Beautiful Bill.' The bill calls for cuts to Medicaid that will total about one trillion dollars over the next decade. This has raised concerns for rural hospitals and small-town patients who rely on Medicaid for healthcare. To address this, Cassidy said he helped to create the Rural Health Transformation Program, which allows states to access, allocate and distribute rural health funding. The fund will provide $10 billion a year, over five years, to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which will distribute funding to eligible states. 'I'm a doctor who treated Medicaid patients for decades, and I'll always fight for the disabled American who needs Medicaid to enhance their life, to save their lives.' He also worked to expand the 'no tax on tips' portion of the bill to include barbers, beauticians and those in the food service industry, he said.
The Hill
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Watch live: Senate convenes hearing on cybersecurity, health care
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday is holding a hearing on cybersecurity and how to ensure privacy for Americans, including protecting sensitive data within the health care system. Lawmakers and health sector experts will come together to weigh options for implementing technology to establish privacy protections. The hearing comes directly following the committee's vote on Susan Monarez, President Trump's pick to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT. Watch the live video above.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate passes big changes to student loans in reconciliation bill
The Senate's version of President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' passed Tuesday would make significant changes to student loan programs, worrying advocates that borrowers will face higher monthly payments. The reconciliation bill revamps the types of student loan repayment plans available to borrowers; how much students will be able borrow from the federal government; and how student loan deferment works. The massive package now heads back to the House. If passed it its current form, it would represent some of the biggest changes to the student loan system in years. In the megabill's current form, student loan repayment options would dwindle down to two in the next few years. Multiple popular plans, such as the Biden administration's SAVE option, would be phased out in favor of either a new Repayment Assistance Plan or a standard plan. Borrowers would have to choose one of those plans between July 2026 and July 2028. The standard plan would give a borrower a loan with a life span depending on the amount borrowed, typically between 10 years and 25 years. The new Repayment Assistance Plan would require 30 years of payments before student loan forgiveness is allowed, up from 20 years to 25 years in previous options. The legislation also eliminates the Graduate PLUS Program, which allows students going to graduate or professional school to cover the full cost of attendance. Instead, a cap of $100,000 will be put on lifetime loans for graduate students, and $200,000 for medical and law students. Parent PLUS loans will also be capped at $65,000 and will not be eligible for repayment programs. Borrowers struggling to repay their loans will no longer be able to defer due to unemployment or economic hardship, but it would also give borrowers the ability to rehabilitate defaulted loans twice instead of the current one time that is allowed. Other changes include eligibility for Pell Grants, excluding those who receive full rides to a university and adding individuals who enroll in workplace training programs. 'President Trump and I want to preserve the American Dream for working and middle America,' said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. 'We keep taxes low, cut taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, extend the Child Tax Credit, fix our broken education system, support our military, secure our border, and build a business environment that creates better paying jobs — especially in Louisiana,' Cassidy added. Borrowers will have to switch their plans over a two-year period, with those currently on an income-based repayment plan able to keep their 20- to 25-year window for forgiveness. Payments made under old plans would still count toward the timeline for new plans. But advocates warn the new plans will raise the monthly payments for most borrowers. 'This reconciliation bill will be catastrophic for millions of Americans by restricting access to higher education and exacerbating the student debt crisis for both federal and private student loans,' Student Debt Crisis Center President Natalia Abrams said. 'While it is difficult to imagine how much worse the student debt crisis can become, this reconciliation bill does exactly that.' The changes to student loan deferrment will leave borrowers experiencing hardship in a precarious situation as the Repayment Assistance Plan gives no option to reduce payments down to $0 during times of struggle. Advocates worry the caps on federal lending for graduate students will also turn prospective students away from higher education or push them toward private loans, which come with higher interest rates and can be difficult for some to obtain. 'This bill is a dangerous attack on students, working families, and communities across the country. By gutting financial aid programs, shredding the student loan safety net, weakening protections, and pushing millions of students and families into the riskier and more expensive private student loan market, policymakers are doubling down on a rigged system where a quality higher education is reserved for the richest Americans while the rest of us are left to fend for ourselves and forced to take on a lifetime of debt. Americans won't forget this betrayal,' said Aissa Canchola Bañez, policy director for Student Borrower Protection Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
