Senate

The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted to advance the nominations of probable new NIH and FDA leaders to the full senate.

Lawmakers grilled Martin Makary, MD, MPH, on transparency, his plans for mifepristone and his stance on the recently cancelled Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting during Thursday’s senate hearing to be the next FDA commissioner.

As of Feb. 1, there have been at least 24 million illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths across the United States related to influenza during the 2024-2025 season, according to the CDC.

The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next HHS secretary.

On Dec. 16, the House passed S141, a reform bill that would include optometry in the physician pay scale, according to an American Optometric Association press release.

A recently proposed U.S. Senate bill aims to crack down on social media influencers and others online who make misleading comments about pharmaceutical drugs.

A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would require private health plans to continue to pay for dialysis for beneficiaries with end-stage kidney disease while they coordinate a transition to Medicare coverage.

Insulin affordability took center stage in Washington, D.C., on May 10 as the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions conducted a hearing with pharmaceutical and pharmacy benefit manager executives.

A bill introduced to the Senate will provide funding for the next 5 years to medical school programs for abortion care training and for students who have to travel out of state for abortion training, according to a press release.

Members of the U.S. Senate have introduced legislation that will give federal officials the ability to revamp the organ procurement process, including offering more access to information about the national waitlist to potential recipients.