Federal Health Policy Updates
from Duke Health Government Relations

February 7, 2025

Newsletter haiku
Resuming seems comforting
So, yes for this week

The Rundown

• Executive branch actions continue 
• Nominations move through the Senate 
• What’s up NC delegation? 
• From our desks  
• Join the Duke Health Advocacy Network! 

Executive actions continue

The flurry of executive actions continued this week, and our office continues to collaborate with Duke Health and University leadership to analyze the impacts on the community and serve as a liaison to Congress to relay the real-time effects.

This week, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) resumed its first study sections, following the Administration’s recent pause on federal activities. Media reports signaled that advisory councils would also resume, but only private sessions focused on approving funding for projects. There would be no public sessions of the meetings. We continue to monitor how meeting requirements under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) are implemented.

Another federal judge put a pause on President Trump’s executive order that would limit birthright citizenship. A previous fourteen-day temporary restraining order had been placed by a different judge, but the new decision from U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman placed a long-term nationwide preliminary injunction.

94 nominees are being considered and 11 nominees have been approved

This week, the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of HHS advanced out of the Senate Finance Committee (SFC) on a party-line vote. Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), a member of the SFC and Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, had not stated which way he would vote in the days since last week's hearing and said that it was a decision he studied exhaustively and took very seriously. He noted that he had spoken with Kennedy multiple times over the weekend about the medical literature and science behind the safety of vaccines. He also said, “Mr. Kennedy and the Administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination.”

Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) also supported the nomination in Committee. It now moves to the full Senate for consideration. 

Once the Secretary for HHS is confirmed, we anticipate that the Senate will move to schedule hearings for other HHS nominees, including Dr. Mehmet Oz to oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University–educated physician and economist, to be the next NIH director.

Also this week the Senate confirmed former Rep. Doug Collins to be Secretary of the VA on a vote of 77-23.

What’s up NC delegation?

Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC-03) met with Duke University President Vincent Price, posting on X, “I am grateful for the introduction and look forward to working together to ensure our college campuses give students the best opportunity to succeed.” He also posted about his meeting with Josh Dobson, President of the North Carolina Healthcare Association, stating, “I will always fight to protect access to affordable, high-quality care, as well as stand up for our doctors who sacrifice so much to keep folks healthy.”

Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04) announced on Thursday that she was appointed to serve on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the 119th Congress. Rep. Foushee will serve on the Energy Subcommittee and as Ranking Member on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee in the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. In the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Foushee will serve on the Aviation Subcommittee and the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee.

Also on Thursday, Rep. Debroah Ross (D-NC-02) announced that her colleagues elected her to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy. She will also serve on the Subcommittee on Environment.

Senator Tillis issued a press release announcing his role as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.

Rep. Richard Hudson joined Reps. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), and Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Tim Scott (R-SC), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in reintroducing the “Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act.” This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would provide Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early detection screening tests. In his press release, Rep. Hudson said, “Too often, families in North Carolina and across the country are devastated by a cancer diagnosis…By increasing access to multi-cancer early detection screening tests, we can catch cancers sooner and save lives."

From our desks 

This week our office was in DC to join other NC universities and their presidents at a congressional event recognizing the start of the 119th Congress. Several members of the North Carolina delegation and their staff attended.

Our office continues outreach to the delegation on the impact of executive actions, and worked with the Duke Global Health Institute to build support for a congressional letter being led by Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Robin Kelly (D-IL). The House letter describes the impact of the foreign aid funding pause on global health programs, particularly the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and urges that essential HIV and AIDS services continue uninterrupted. At our request, Reps. Foushee and Ross signed the letter.

Our office coordinated an institutional response to a policy proposal from Senators Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) focused on reforms to graduate medical education.

Our office has also presented at many meetings across Duke Health about the federal landscape and new Administration. Please let us know if your team would be interested in a listening session or office hours. We are glad to share an update in your next town hall, huddle, or small group meeting.

Join the Duke Health Advocacy Network!

Looking to connect with fellow advocates and professionals interested in public policy across the health system? Join the Duke Health Advocacy Teams Channel! We’re eager for you to join us! 

Managed and moderated by Duke Health Government Relations and Duke State Relations, the platform aims to connect colleagues throughout the health system who are engaged and/or interested in public policy advocacy. We hope the channel will be used as a space for sharing ideas, collaboration, and engaging with the government relations teams on the issues most important to your work.  

We will post relevant news items, policy updates, questions, advocacy resources, and opportunities for engagement. As importantly, this is your space to do the same and to help grow the community. 

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(Note: This is only open to Duke Health employees. By joining this Teams channel, you acknowledge that the platform and your participation are intended for information sharing and connections/relationship building and is not an inducement by Duke Health Government Relations and Duke State Relations, or the channel’s participants, to act as an unauthorized advocacy and/or lobbying representative of Duke Health or Duke University).