Short and sweet news from Duke Health Government Relations
07/26/2019
It’s the hottest time of the year, and the issues in Washington are no exception! Congress has until the start of August to meet some big deadlines before its annual month-long summer recess begins.
You may have heard that the debt limit needs to be raised again this year so that the government does not run out of money or default on our nation’s debt, which could rattle markets and the global economy. The need to lift the country’s borrowing cap while making sure other funding is available for domestic and defense spending in FY 2020 has made for tricky negotiations. In the meantime, the federal government is currently using so-called “extraordinary measures” to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt.
A two-year budget deal was reached this week, avoiding a government shutdown, debt default, and billions of dollars in spending cuts. The House approved the budget bill on July 25, and the Senate is expected to pass it easily next week.
Various health care topics continue to advance in Congress, including moves to eliminate surprise billing and lower drug prices. Other bills to extend funding for the health professions and nursing workforce are moving forward, too.
Congress is also working to reauthorize funding for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), which studies how different medications and treatments compare so that patients and their caregivers have the information they need to choose the health care and treatment options that are best for them. Duke is ranked second in the nation for this funding, and our office is working to ensure another ten-year authorization. More information about PCORI-funded projects at Duke is available here.
If you want more information on any of these issues, contact Catherine Liao in Government Relations. Thanks for reading, and see you next time!