Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
The House committees overseeing health policy are due for some leadership shakeups next year, regardless of which party controls the chamber. That will have a bearing on drug price negotiations, insulin caps and what happens to ACA subsidies.
Here are the top committee leadership posts to watch for health policy:
House Energy and Commerce Committee
If Democrats win the House:
- Ranking Member Frank Pallone is in line to become chair again.
- His office declined to enumerate policy priorities, telling Axios that Pallone is focused on ensuring that Democrats win back the majority.
- But Pallone was instrumental in helping pass the drug price negotiation portion of the IRA, and in hopes of a Democratic sweep has introduced legislation to expand the number of drugs subject to Medicare price negotiations and extend drugmaker inflation rebates to the private market.
- Pallone was a player getting the ACA passed, as well as the FDA user fee reauthorization in 2017. He's also a strong supporter of community health centers.
If Republicans keep the House:
- There's a race to succeed departing E&C Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers between Reps. Brett Guthrie and Bob Latta, who chair the health and communications subcommittees, respectively.
- Latta told Axios that he would make "patient care" his priority, to ensure patients get low costs and quality care. He also said he would revive the health transparency package if it doesn't get through the Senate this Congress, and work on reauthorizing PAHPA.
- Guthrie's office said his health care priorities include oversight of the IRA; holding drug supply intermediaries accountable; strengthening health transparency; improving the response to the opioid and fentanyl crises; and ensuring that "the unborn are protected."
- Lobbyists say that Guthrie seems to have more momentum in the race, and he's known to be well-liked within the GOP caucus.
But one possible wild card is if NRCC Chair Richard Hudson jumps into the race. It's the scenario that played out with former Rep. Greg Walden, and sources say they could certainly see it happening since Hudson likely won't keep the NRCC role.
- Hudson's office didn't respond to a request for comment on his plans or health priorities.
House Ways and Means Committee
If Democrats win the House:
- Ranking Member Richard Neal's office confirmed to Axios that he wants to return as chair if Democrats regain the majority.
- He was a key player passing the IRA's drug pricing and ACA provisions, and like Pallone would likely also be responsible for helping shepherd a Harris administration's health care priorities. Neal's office told Axios on Tuesday that he supports Harris' proposed Medicare home care benefit.
- Neal could also factor in debates over expanding the number of drugs eligible for Medicare negotiation, or expanding the policy to the private market, since he's a sponsor of the legislative effort.
If Republicans keep the House:
- Chair Jason Smith is set to keep the gavel because he's served only one term and GOP term limits kick in after six years.
- Smith has focused on advancing the House's health care transparency package, which includes measures on hospital pricing and PBM business practices, and on championing rural health programs.
- He also oversaw passage of a limited version of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act out of the committee for the first time. That bill would enable some Medicare beneficiaries to have their weight-loss drugs covered if they aged into the program.
- Smith opposes the IRA's drug pricing provisions and extending the ACA's enhanced subsidies, both of which could come into play next year.
House Appropriations Committee
If Democrats win the House:
- Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro's office told Axios that she "is looking forward to becoming chair of the Appropriations Committee in the next Congress."
- DeLauro has backed increasing funding for biomedical research and abolishing the Hyde amendment, and she's been active on issues around breast cancer.
If Republicans keep the House:
- Chair Tom Cole would likely remain in his position after taking the gavel partway through the 118th Congress when Kay Granger stepped down.
- Cole has traditionally supported increasing funding to NIH, in part because of his wife's struggles with multiple sclerosis and his father's experience with Alzheimer's.
- In this Congress, he's led committee approval of partisan funding bills that include antiabortion and anti-gender-affirming care poison pills, as well as funding cuts to health agencies and a reorganization of NIH. Most of the bills haven't made it to the House floor.
House Education and Workforce Committee
If Democrats win the House:
- Ranking Member Bobby Scott would probably become chair. His office confirmed to Axios that he intends to stay as the top Democrat on the panel.
- Scott is also a sponsor of the bill that would expand Medicare drug price negotiations and was a sponsor with Chair Virginia Foxx of a hospital "honest billing" measure that was included in last year's health transparency package.
- Scott wasn't a sponsor on the final version of the transparency package, though he voted for its passage on the House floor.
If Republicans keep the House:
- Foxx got a waiver to stay at the top of the committee this Congress but has said she's not going to do that in the next session.
- Reps. Tim Walberg and Burgess Owens are both running for the open gavel, and Walberg ran against Foxx previously for the spot.
- Walberg's office told Axios that as chair he'd expand choice for health care plans; protect ERISA; pass legislation to restore the Trump-era association health plan rule; expand telehealth; and encourage transparency in health plan data.
- Owens' office told Axios that one his health care priorities would be to ensure that ERISA "remains as flexible as possible" so employers can have more freedom in offering health insurance to their employees. He also said he supported access to association health plans for small-business owners.
