Health Care — House GOP make their first request of Fauci post-exit​

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View Online Health Care Health Care  The Big Story  House GOP make their first request of Fauci post-exit House Republicans from two key committees have officially requested that former White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci answer questions under oath for the first time since he left government work last year. © The Hill, Greg Nash House Republicans are demanding Anthony Fauci give an interview under oath as part of their revamped investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic    Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), the chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, and James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, are pressing for information from Fauci as well as senior Biden administration officials and the president of EcoHealth Alliance.   Fauci was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for nearly 40 years before retiring from government at the end of last year. He has said on numerous occasions he would gladly testify for a GOP-led panel, and this may be his chance. The letter asks for a transcribed interview, where he would be under oath.    A committee spokesperson said there are no immediate plans for an open hearing yet.    House Republicans have made no secret of their intention to investigate the origins of the virus, beginning when they were in the minority.     Now that they're in charge, GOP leaders have indicated they won't accept delays.    A letter sent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) earlier this month asked for a range of documents related to the monitoring of biosafety and research practices at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where Republicans generally agree the virus originated from.    And at a hearing with administration health officials last week, Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) accused the NIH of stonewalling Congress.   But while outside experts agree on the need for a thorough examination of how we got here, the investigation has been intensely politicized from the start.    The 12-member Coronavirus Response subcommittee is charged with examining the origins of the pandemic, including federal funding of gain-of-function research.    The examination of gain-of-function research is central to the common GOP position that the virus originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and was potentially backed by funding from the U.S. government.   You can read more about the hearing and what Republicans are saying in our report on TheHill.com tonight. Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: White House announces plans to enhance transparency over nursing home ownership The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a new rule proposal that would require nursing homes to disclose more information on their ownership and management than what is currently required. Nursing homes that are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid are already required to report certain ownership and management data, but other information, such as those who provide cash management services, are not required …  Full Story Suicides increased after two years of declines: CDC data After two consecutive years of declines, suicide rates in the United States increased in 2021, nearly matching the record high from 2018. There were 48,183 deaths by suicide in 2021, after 45,979 in 2020 and 47,511 in 2019, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Age-adjusted suicide rates among American Indian or Alaska Native people were the highest across the groups, with 28.1 suicide …  Full Story Nearly 1 in 3 high school girls report they seriously considered suicide: CDC data Thirty percent of female high school students have seriously considered suicide in the past year, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Data Summary and Trends Report published on Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For male high school students, 14 percent of respondents said they had seriously considered suicide. The survey results highlight the building crisis in youth mental health. …  Full Story On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The Senate will be holding a hearing looking into the health care worker shortage on Thursday, Feb. 16. In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Mississippi sees 1,000% increase in syphilis cases in newborns, state health officer says With the number of congenital syphilis cases rising in Mississippi, doctors across the Mid-South are expressing their concerns. Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Governors find common cause in fighting addiction (Politico) Kansas senator vents wrath at state health officials: 'Recognize your inadequacy' (Kansas Reflector) What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: Patients still have no protection against surprise ambulance bills. And there's no solution in sight (Stat) ERs staffed by private equity firms aim to cut costs by hiring fewer doctors (NPR) For Older Americans, the Pandemic Is Not Over (The New York Times) What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: McCarthy calls for resignation of Architect of Capitol House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called for the Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to step down or be removed by President Biden, adding … Read more US tells citizens to leave Russia immediately The U.S. on Monday issued a top-level advisory telling American citizens to leave Russia immediately and cease travel to the country as Russia's war … Read more What People Think  Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: Pilots regularly train on simulators: Why don't doctors? A simple way to reduce overdose deaths: Tell doctors when patients die COVID, Hurricane Sandy and a future without 'health care heroes' You're all caught up. See you next week!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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