Month: February 2021

DeMISTifying Foggy Bottom + the Rest of D.C.

Hot Topics | February 26th, 2021

If you visited Washington, D.C. as a child, you probably snickered when your parents brought you to Foggy Bottom. The somewhat silly name was a fitting description of the neighborhood at the time it was established rather than a joke gone awry. Foggy Bottom was built on low-lying lands next to the Potomac River, which made the area prone to fog. With the arrival of the industrial revolution, the area became even foggier with factories such as the Washington Gas Light Company belching gas and exhaust fumes. Today Foggy Bottom is known as the home of the U.S. State Department, JFK Center for Performing Arts, the George Washington University and other D.C. institutions.

Speaking of D.C. institutions, this week saw a flurry of health hearings, as Biden is trying to secure his administration. Nominees were met with sharp questions leading to big headlines.

Becerra: Foe of pharma

• Xavier Becerra, California’s Attorney General and President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), faced criticism from Republicans during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing for his support of abortion and his qualifications. (The Hill, Roll Call) These critiques might be expected in the current partisan climate, but in an unexpected twist several senators attacked Becerra for not being a friend of the pharmaceutical industry. STAT pointed out the “line of attack runs counter to most Americans’ starkly negative view of the pharmaceutical sector, and the fact that before [former HHS Secretary Alex] Azar, no health and human services secretary had ever previously worked for a drug company.”

Other health hearings on the hill

• Dr. Rachel Levine (Assistant Secretary of HHS Nominee): Dr. Levine, a pediatrician from Pennsylvania, went before the Senate HELP Committee on Thursday. While she received many questions on issues of public health and COVID-19, it was Senator Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) line of questioning that made headlines. The Senator faced criticism for remarks that characterized gender-affirming care as “genital mutilation,” a term not used by the mainstream healthcare profession to describe these treatments. (The Hill, The Washington Post)
• Dr. Vivek Murthy (Surgeon General Nominee): Dr. Murthy, whose hearing was held in tandem with Dr. Levine’s, was questioned by Senate Republicans for his position that gun violence is a public health issue. What was not discussed was Dr. Murthy’s work as a COVID-19 consultant for the cruise industry, Airbnb and other companies. (The Washington Post)

Your guide to FDA guidance

• This week the FDA issued a flurry of guidance for industry and for the public:
  • The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can now be stored at conventional pharmaceutical freezer temperatures. (FDA)
  • The FDA released a briefing document endorsing the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which will be reviewed by an advisory committee today. (Axios)
  • The FDA issued guidance allowing vaccine developers to forego large randomized placebo-controlled trials for clinical trials testing COVID-19 vaccines tailored to fight specific variants. (The Hill, FDA)
  • And coming soon: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working on safety recommendations for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. (The Hill)

It’s Up to You

• An Ad Council campaign funded by the US government called “It’s Up to You” was revealed this week, which aims to encourage Americans to get vaccinated when it is their turn. The campaign is one of the largest public education efforts in US history, and calls for viewers to visit www.getvaccineanswers.org for more information about COVID-19 vaccine safety and availability. (The Washington Post)

If you enjoyed this excerpt from this week’s Policy News from Goodfuse, we invite you to email us at [email protected] to sign up the full weekly “insider only” newsletter featuring fun-to-read round-ups of Hot Topics, breaking news and some quirky facts to make your Fridays Goodfused.

When Politics and Plush Toys Don’t Mix: The Story of Billy Possum

Hot Topics | February 19th, 2021

The year was 1908, and Theodore Roosevelt’s hand-picked successor William Howard Taft was elected president. Roosevelt’s popularity meant toy manufacturers had profited handsomely off the teddy bear. However, the industry started to look for the next big toy craze, worried the teddy bear’s popularity would wane with its eponymous president leaving office.

Fast forward to January 1909, when a banquet in Atlanta was thrown in Taft’s honor. By request the president-elect was served “possum and taters,” which is exactly what it sounds like: an 18-pound whole-cooked opossum served on a bed of sweet potatoes.

Local supporters then presented Taft with a stuffed possum, beginning a frenzied campaign to make “Billy Possum” the latest and greatest toy. The Los Angeles Times proclaimed, “the teddy bear has been relegated to a seat in the rear, and for four years, possibly eight, the children of the United States will play with Billy Possum.” A postcard advertising the new toy declared: “No more Teddy Bear/We will fondle with glee/Billy Possum is future/Our mascot shall be.”

You may be asking yourself, given such fanfare, what happened to Billy Possum? Unsurprisingly, poor Billy was not well received by children, and the marsupial’s boosters had given up on the toy before Christmas 1909.

Drug pricing reforms arrive at statehouses

• Several state legislatures are advancing legislation to lower drug prices. While details vary from state to state, many are looking to “import Canadian drug prices” following stalled efforts to import pharmaceuticals themselves from North of the border. By tip-toeing around potential barriers such as including Medicaid programs in the policies, states are aiming to craft bills that will withstand industry lawsuits. The fact that these proposals are advancing in states from across the political spectrum – left, center and right – illustrates the broad bipartisan support for drug pricing reform. (STAT)

Woodcook defends industry interactions

• Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock rejected calls for the FDA to erect a “firewall” between employees involved in pre-submission industry interactions and post-submission decision-making. Woodcock argued the proposed firewall, “would cause significant negative repercussions for public health.” The FDA drew the ire of an advocacy group for the way it handled the review of Biogen’s aducanumab, an Alzheimer’s drug. The agency released favorable briefing documents it co-authored with Biogen, which prompted criticism from Advisory Committee members that the FDA gave a biased presentation. (STAT)

Your Medicaid minute

• An analysis of House Democrats’ plan to temporarily expand healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act isn’t too rosy. The report found the proposal would cover fewer than 2 million uninsured Americans at a cost of $50 billion. (Axios) Meanwhile, the White House moved to withdraw Medicaid work requirements approved under the Trump administration. (POLITICO, The Hill)

Introducing Medicare-X

• Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) have drafted a bill that, if signed into law, would accomplish President Biden’s goal to create a government-run public option health plan. Under the proposed legislation, the plan would first roll out in markets with high premiums due to a lack of competition and be available nationwide by 2025. (The Hill, The Washington Post)

If you enjoyed this excerpt from this week’s Policy News from Goodfuse, we invite you to email us at [email protected] to sign up the full weekly “insider only” newsletter featuring fun-to-read round-ups of Hot Topics, breaking news and some quirky facts to make your Fridays Goodfused.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Hot Topics | February 12th, 2021

Today is the start of the Lunar New Year, and to mark the occasion we are opening today’s newsletter with a few fun facts about one of Washington D.C.’s most dynamic neighborhoods: Chinatown!

• Washington D.C.’s first Chinatown was established in the 1880’s along the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 4 ½ Street NW and 7^th Street NW. When city planners designated the area for redevelopment in the 1920’s, neighborhood aid organizations helped acquire land and relocate the community to the present Chinatown along H Street NW. 
• The Chinese Community Church at 500 I Street NW has been a fixture in the Chinatown community for nearly 90 years. The church building was designed by Thomas Ustick Walter, who also designed the dome of the U.S. Capitol. 
• The Friendship Archway at H Street NW and 7^th Street NW is the largest single-span archway of its type in the world.

We wish all our readers a happy and prosperous new year! 

Guide to new CDC guidance

• This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a wave of new guidance for the public: 
  • On Masks: Wearing a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask can significantly decrease the spread of COVID-19. (The Hill)
  • On Quarantine: Individuals who have been fully vaccinated no longer need to quarantine if they are exposed to someone infected with COVID-19. (The Hill)
  • School Reopening: The CDC is expected to issue guidance for the reopening of schools later today (Friday, February 12). (The Hill)

Industry agreement on ACA changes

• Healthcare industry groups including America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce lined up to support changes to the Affordable Care Act proposed by House Democrats. (The Hill) These changes would include subsidized coverage for Americans earning up to 150% of the federal poverty line and those on unemployment insurance, as well as ending the “subsidy cliff” for individuals earnings upwards of 400% of the federal poverty level. (POLITICO, Axios)

Driving back disparities

• As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines continues, disparities in access are becoming more stark with CDC data showing over 60% of vaccine doses in a number of states have been administered to white Americans. (Roll Call) Several efforts are actively underway to reduce these disparities, including a White House push to distribute vaccines directly to community health centers (The Hill, POLITICO) and an Uber/Walgreens partnership to offer free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites. (The Hill)

Vaccine rollout full steam ahead

• On Thursday, President Biden announced the purchase of an additional 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. With this purchase, the United States secured enough doses to vaccinate every American by July. (The Hill) Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci estimated April will mark the start of “open season” for vaccinations, when any American who wants a shot will be able to get one. (The Hill) 
  • Read more: The United States could pay a cost for its efforts to rapidly vaccinate its own population. Experts argue life in the US will not return to normal until COVID-19 is tamed in all corners of the world, a feat that will be difficult to achieve as long as wealthier countries continue to secure the majority of the world’s vaccine supply. (The Hill)

If you enjoyed this excerpt from this week’s Policy News from Goodfuse, we invite you to email us at [email protected] to sign up the full weekly “insider only” newsletter featuring fun-to-read round-ups of Hot Topics, breaking news and some quirky facts to make your Fridays Goodfused.

Getting the Senate Organized

Hot Topics | February 5th, 2021

Following the election of Sens. Ossoff and Warnock (D-GA) in early January, you probably read headlines that the Democrats had retaken the Senate. While not false, those headlines omitted a small but significant nuance – a wonky Senate formality known as an “organizing resolution” – that would be a final hurdle on the Democrats’ path to reclaiming the Senate majority.

The organizing resolution outlines out how each Senate will set up committees, budgets and other key operating procedures. After Sens. Ossoff and Warnock were sworn in on January 20^th, Democrats controlled the Senate floor, but Republicans maintained control of Senate committees because the organizing resolution from the 116^thCongress was still in effect. This resulted in some committees operating without a chairperson, since the Senators who chaired these committees in the 116^th Congress had retired.

After two weeks of negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate finally passed an organizing resolution on Wednesday to govern the 117^th (current) Congress.

Going big, possibly bipartisan, on COVID relief

• On Tuesday President Biden prodded Senate Democrats to “go big” and advance legislation on a COIVD-19 relief bill. Biden’s direction came after he rejected a $618 billion proposal from ten Republican Senators, which was substantially smaller than the $1.9 billion figure the president has floated. (The Hill, Associated Press – Washington Bureau) While House Democrats started the legislative process that would allow them to advance a COVID-19 relief bill without the threat of a Republican filibuster, the door on bipartisanship has not yet closed. (Roll Call) On Thursday, a bipartisan group of 16 senators drafted a non-binding amendment that calls for the next round of direct payments to target the neediest Americans. (The Hill)

Schools, seniors and the squeeze on vaccines

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cited data from her agency on Wednesday to make the case that vaccinating teachers is not required to safely reopen schools as long as other precautions are followed. (The Hill) Dr. Walkensky’s remarks were made during a week that saw several outlets report that teachers are being pushed further back in line for COVID-19 vaccines as many states prioritize elderly populations. (Axios, Roll Call). Setting aside vaccinations, there are concerns from some White House political advisors that President Biden may not be able to fulfill his goal of resuming in-person instruction during the first 100 days of his presidency. (Axios)

Drug pricing proposal delayed

• The Biden administration has delayed the implementation of a signature Trump administration proposal that would have prevented pharmaceutical companies from negotiating rebates on prescription drug prices with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PhRMA and drug makers were in favor of the policy, and were prepared to work with the government to implement the rule. However, PBMs and their trade association, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, were vigorously opposed to the rule and filed a lawsuit to kill the policy. (STAT)

Updates on team Biden

• STAT published a detailed profile of Eric Lander, a key figure in the Human Genome Project and founding director of the Broad Institute who President Biden tapped as the White House science advisor. As detailed by STAT’s Lev Facher, Lander will advise the president on climate change, COVID-19, public confidence in science, and other pressing issues. Meanwhile, the rumor mill was a-swirling with hints that Chiquita Brooks-LaSure (a longtime Democratic health policy expert) and North Carolina health secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen have emerged as frontrunners to helm the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. (POLITICO)

If you enjoyed this excerpt from this week’s Policy News from Goodfuse, we invite you to email us at [email protected] to sign up the full weekly “insider only” newsletter featuring fun-to-read round-ups of Hot Topics, breaking news and some quirky facts to make your Fridays Goodfused.