The Biden administration's move to allow Medicare and Medicaid coverage of GLP-1s for weight loss is upending the Capitol's customary partisan battle lines, Peter reports.

Why it matters: It's a possible sign of things to come next year as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies challenge traditional GOP thinking on pharmaceutical issues.

Driving the news: The Medicare announcement drew rare praise from some mainstream congressional Republicans and dovetailed with House efforts to advance the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act.

• "I am encouraged to see the administration support our efforts to help make Americans healthier by allowing Medicare coverage of new, physician prescribed and FDA approved anti-obesity medications," said Rep. Brad Wenstrup, who's sponsoring the legislation.
• But Kennedy ally and health entrepreneur Calley Means sharply criticized the announcement as a sign of "the hold the pharmaceutical industry has."
• "Americans did NOT vote for mass injections in this election," he wrote. "They voted for a shift to ROOT CAUSE interventions and benefit flexibility."

Kennedy, who if confirmed would preside over Medicare coverage decisions, said on Fox News in October that the obesity and diabetes epidemics would be better solved through healthier diets than through selling more GLP-1s.

Between the lines: On the progressive side of the spectrum, Sen. Bernie Sanders said the announcement was missing details on cost.

• He did not attack the idea of widespread use of the drugs as Means did, though, instead calling them "vitally important."
• "If this proposal is to be financially responsible for seniors and taxpayers, Medicare and Medicaid cannot pay up to 10 to 15 times more for these drugs than they cost in Europe and other major countries," Sanders said.

The big picture: In a further sign of the strange bedfellows, PhRMA, which has frequently been at odds with the Biden administration over the IRA's drug price negotiations, praised the move.

• "This proposal will lead to better health outcomes for patients and future cost savings​," said Alex Schriver, senior vice president at PhRMA.

The bottom line: The pharmaceutical industry will have different allies across the parties next year depending on whether the issue is drug pricing or public health issues like vaccination.

Another potential area for collaboration between the next Congress and Trump 2.0 could be processed foods and their role in childhood obesity and nutrition, Victoria reports.

Why it matters: One of Kennedy's areas of interest is chronic disease in children, and a Senate HELP Committee hearing that Sanders has scheduled for Thursday will take up what he views as the FDA's role in promoting unhealthy foods that lead to obesity and diabetes.

What they're saying: "For far too long, the food and beverage industry has been allowed to use deceptive and misleading tactics to entice children to eat foods and consume beverages loaded up with added sugar, salt, and saturated fats that are purposely designed to be overeaten," Sanders said.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and deputy commissioner Jim Jones will testify at the hearing.

• Sanders is expected to ask the two about the design of front-of-package labels to clarify what harmful ingredients may be in products.

The intrigue: Sanders' remarks echo some of the sentiments Kennedy has aired about the FDA, including vowing to fire "entire departments" in part for accommodating processed foods.

• He's pointed to products like Froot Loops, which he said "have 18 or 19 ingredients," while in Canada they have only a few.

What we're watching: Whether other Democrats join Sanders in piling on to the FDA, signaling the potential for a bipartisan overhaul of the agency.

• Republicans in this Congress have criticized the FDA over recruitment and retainment efforts and have debated whether to give the agency more authority over drug shortages.
• Incoming Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy has also criticized the FDA over guidance on drug patent listings and over medical technology policies.

1. Kennedy nomination: Accounts of the HHS nominee's personal life and influential criticisms of his public health stances are starting to pile up, posing tough questions for the next Senate, Axios' Caitlin Owens reports.
2. Vaping at SCOTUS: The Supreme Court today heard arguments in a case over whether the FDA improperly blocked applications for candy- or fruit-flavored vapes that appeal to kids. Background from ABC News here.
3. HIV suppression: A record 90.6% of people receiving care through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program are virally suppressed, meaning those on medication cannot sexually transmit HIV, the Health Resources and Services Administration said today.