Healthcare
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Health Care
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Cassidy cites autism website change in support of CDC nominee |
Dr. Erica Schwartz, President Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), picked up a key endorsement from Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Thursday.
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During her confirmation hearing last week, Cassidy grew frustrated when Schwartz dodged questions about whether she could protect the agency from political meddling and stand up to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he asked her to take action that was not supported by scientific evidence.
But Cassidy, who lost a primary election to a challenger backed by President Trump, said he now trusts that Schwartz will make the right decisions.
“I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy added that “as a sign of good faith,” the HHS had modified the CDC’s website on vaccines and autism.
Last year Kennedy ordered the page to contradict the scientifically settled idea that vaccines do not cause autism.
“There’s more to do to repair the damage that has been done to the U.S. public health response, but this is a start,” Cassidy said.
But the page’s central claim hasn’t changed; it still says that studies have not disproven a link between vaccines and autism, and that “studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.”
What has changed is a footnote beneath the headline “Vaccines do not cause autism” no longer references Cassidy.
The earlier version pointedly said the headline had not been removed because of an agreement with the “chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.”
The update says scientists have not identified the root causes of autism and that the agency will update the page as new evidence emerges.
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Welcome to The Hill’s Healthcare newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
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How policy will be impacting the healthcare sector this week and beyond:
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Dr. Anthony Fauci will testify next Wednesday in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed, chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Thursday. Paul has been laser-focused on Fauci, the nation’s former top infectious diseases doctor, for allegedly covering up the U.S.’s involvement in risky viral research in a Chinese lab that the Kentucky senator says created the virus that …
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The entire congressional Democratic caucus filed an amicus brief urging a federal appeals court to retain the Food and Drug Administration’s current rules for prescribing abortion pills. Forty-seven Democratic senators and 212 House members asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit not to reinstate an in-person requirement to obtain mifepristone, which has not been enforced in five years. The brief was …
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(NEXSTAR) – A new outbreak of cyclospora, the parasite capable of giving you “explosive” diarrhea, that has not been linked to the previously recalled lettuce is now under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The latest outbreak, with 72 cases connected to it, was added to the FDA’s list of ongoing investigations on Wednesday.
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Americans get new medicines 3 years faster than other high-income countries thanks to our biopharmaceutical leadership. If Washington copies other countries' price control policies, we risk America’s access to cures. Learn more
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
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Trump to impose new double-digit tariffs on imports from 60 countries
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President Trump will impose double-digit tariffs on imports from 60 countries over forced labor violations, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Thursday. The action will cover 99.4 percent of U.S. imports and apply to Washington’s top trading partners, according to a fact sheet released by his office.
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Local and state headlines on healthcare:
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- Alabama officials hold hearing on whether to reschedule marijuana in line with Trump’s federal move (Marijuana Moment)
- Colorado Medicaid owes federal government at least $8 million for in-home disability care, audit finds (Colorado Sun)
- Texas invested billions to fight cancer. Abbott’s H-1B visas restrictions may stall research, some warn (Texas Tribune)
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Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets:
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- Trump promised redemption for troops who refused Covid shots. A year later, many are still waiting (Stat)
- The child is terrified’: measles doctors speak out (Wired)
- Trump administration says surprise billing law is being ‘gamed’ by doctors (New York Times)
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill:
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You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow!
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