Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
Three Republicans are vying for their party's top spot on the House Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee in the 119th Congress as current Chair Brett Guthrie eyes the full E&C gavel.
Why it matters: The panel would be the likely starting point for legislation addressing health price transparency and PBMs. If Republicans keep control of the House, it could also shape an overhaul of public health agencies and a rollback, or more oversight over, Medicare drug price negotiations.
State of play: Reps. Morgan Griffith, Buddy Carter and Gus Bilirakis are all seeking the top Republican spot on the subcommittee, their offices confirmed to Axios.
- Guthrie is seeking to chair the full committee, but could move to keep the health subcommittee gavel if that bid fails.
- Griffith is serving as chair of the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, Carter leads the Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials subcommittee and Bilirakis has the gavel on the Innovation, Data and Commerce subcommittee.
Griffith wants to continue working on issues that Oversight addressed with the Health subcommittee during this session. That includes "transparency in health care, reforms of government agencies, drug shortages, the 340B program and IRA drug pricing reform," a spokesperson said in a statement.
- Carter's office said he would be committed to "removing barriers to care, often created by pharmacy benefit managers," as well as expanding telehealth access and promoting price transparency. He's also characterized the IRA as the "worst legislation" he's seen as a member, because of the way it "prevented cures from coming to market."
- Bilirakis' priorities include "peeling back IRA government price controls," "reforming Medicare's physician payment system," and "drug pricing reforms that prevents middlemen from driving up prices," his office said in a statement.
The intrigue: Per the committee rules, subcommittee chairs are chosen by the full committee chair. It's the same process if control of the House flips and the slots are for ranking members.
- That puts a premium on personal relationships and past collaborations.
- Typically the subcommittee positions are announced in January after the Republican steering committee picks the new chair or ranking member.
The other side: Rep. Diana DeGette's office confirmed that she's aiming to be the top Democrat on the E&C Health subcommittee. It doesn't appear that other Democrats are contending so far.
- Her priorities include strengthening the ACA, lowering costs for insulin and other drugs, expanding access to biomedical advancements and "safeguarding patient choice and autonomy," including by keeping sensitive information private.
Yes, but: It's still possible that if Guthrie is denied the full chair or ranking member of E&C, he could keep his present spot on the Health panel.
- Asked about that option, his office responded that he was focused on making sure House Republicans keep their majority and then winning the E&C chair race after that.
- It's also possible that NRCC Chair Richard Hudson could seek the Health subcommittee gavel, if he opts to leave House Republican leadership and doesn't run for or get the position of full E&C chair.
