Latest news with #SenateHELPCommittee
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Married Student Loan Borrowers' Payments May Jump Under New GOP Plan
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) speaks to reporters following the weekly ... More Republican Senate policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Cassidy was joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) (L) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). Cassidy, as Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, released draft legislation on June 10 that would make substantial changes to the federal student loan system. (Photo by) Senate Republicans released draft reconciliation legislation this week that builds on efforts by their House counterparts to reshape the federal student loan system. The Senate version of the bill is identical in many ways to the House legislation, which passed the chamber last month on a largely party-line vote. But there's a critical difference between the two versions. If the Senate version of the bill ultimately becomes law, it could cause monthly student loan payments to dramatically increase for many households, particularly for married borrowers. The changes center on income-driven repayment. IDR plans are a type of federal student loan repayment plan that offers borrowers affordable payments based on a formula applied to their income. The bill would make significant changes to the IDR system by fully repealing three plans – ICR, PAYE, and the SAVE plan. The legislation would preserve the IBR plan in a modified form for current borrowers. But borrowers who take out new loans going forward would only be able to access a new IDR option created by the bill called the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP. While the details of RAP are largely the same between the House and Senate, the Senate version of the bill appears to treat married couples differently than the House version does. Between that, and the more expensive repayment formula associated with IBR as compared to the other IDR options, many married borrowers may experience significant increases in their monthly payments if the bill passes. Here's a breakdown. For all current income-driven repayment plans – ICR, IBR, PAYE, and SAVE – payments are calculated based on the combined income of married borrowers only if they file their taxes as married-filing-jointly. Borrowers who file their taxes as married-filing-separately would have their income-driven payments based on their individual income. Filing separately can cause some households to pay more in overall taxes, so it doesn't make sense for everyone. But for many married borrowers, filing as married-filing-separately is the only way to get an affordable monthly student loan payment, even if it means higher taxes. Under the House version of the reconciliation bill that narrowly passed that chamber in May, this treatment of married borrowers would be extended to the new RAP plan. 'The term 'adjusted gross income', when used with respect to a borrower, means the adjusted gross income (as such term is defined in section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) of the borrower (and the borrower's spouse, as applicable) for the most recent taxable year, except that, in the case of a married borrower who files a separate Federal income tax return, the term does not include the adjusted gross income of the borrower's spouse,' reads the text of the House bill. But while the Senate version of the bill released this week is similar to the House version in almost every way, there's a notable difference in the bill's definition of Adjusted Gross Income for the RAP plan in the Senate bill. 'The term 'adjusted gross income', when used with respect to a borrower, means the adjusted gross income (as such term is defined in section 62 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) of the borrower (and the borrower's spouse, as applicable) for the most recent taxable year,' reads the bill. The Senate's language completely omits the exception for separate federal tax returns outlined in the House version. This could have dramatic ramifications for married borrowers. A borrower who has an Adjusted Gross Income of $50,000 who files taxes separately from their spouse would have a monthly RAP payment of around $208 per month. But if their spouse earns the same amount of income, so that their combined Adjusted Gross Income is $100,000 regardless of their marital tax filing filing status, the monthly RAP payment would jump to more than $830 per month – a four-fold increase. The RAP plan would be the only income-driven repayment option for borrowers who take out federal student loans after July 1, 2026, under the terms of both the House and Senate bills. Borrowers already in repayment on their student loans prior to that date could maintain access to a modified version of Income-Based Repayment, or IBR. But they would lose access to more affordable options like the PAYE and SAVE plans. Borrowers who are enrolled in these plans would be moved into IBR, unless they opt to switch to RAP (but if they do that, they would be locked into RAP, with no option to change plans again in the future). Both the House and Senate bills would appear to preserve the marital tax treatment of borrowers under IBR, meaning married borrowers enrolled in IBR should continue to be able to file separate federal tax returns to exclude a spouse's income from being factored into the monthly student loan payment calculation. But moving into IBR from PAYE or SAVE could also significantly increase a borrower's monthly student loan payment, even if they can continue filing taxes separately. 'A typical family of four headed by a borrower with a bachelor's degree would be forced to pay an additional $2,808 per year should Congress enact this proposal, when compared to the SAVE plan,' said the Student Borrower Protection Center in a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chair and Ranking Member on Wednesday. For SAVE plan borrowers in particular, who have been in forbearance for the last year due to ongoing legal challenges, 'Borrowers will experience an immediate and unprecedented payment shock as their monthly payments jump from $0 per month to $431 for a typical single student loan borrower with a college degree—an annual increase of more than $5,000' annually, said the group. The bill would make other changes to the federal student loan system that could also impact married borrowers. The legislation would effectively eliminate income-driven repayment altogether for Parent PLUS borrowers, with the exception of those who have already consolidated their Parent PLUS loans and enrolled in Income-Contingent Repayment. This could push many parent borrowers, who would effectively have no affordable repayment option, into default. The bill would also limit Parent PLUS borrowing and phase out the Graduate PLUS program, which could force families to rely more heavily on private student loans, which which are generally costlier and riskier than their federal counterparts. 'The Senate reconciliation bill's higher education provisions would cause widespread harm to American families by making college more expensive, making student debt much harder to repay, unleashing an avalanche of student loan defaults, and rolling back basic protections for students who are defrauded by their college—all to fund tax cuts for the wealthy," said Sameer Gadkaree, president of The Institute for College Access & Success, in a statement earlier this week. 'The proposed overhaul of the student loan repayment system would take the unprecedented step of eliminating existing protections for borrowers. It would implement an overly complex plan that departs from decades of precedent by forcing the lowest-income borrowers to make unaffordable payments and extending the repayment term to 30 years. Taken together, this will likely drive many more borrowers into default."
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump's surgeon general pick touted as 'fierce' MAHA advocate before confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's pick for U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill, garnering support ahead of her upcoming confirmation hearing, with senators describing her as a "fierce" advocate for the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement. Sources familiar with her confirmation hearing prep told Fox News Digital that Nesheiwat has had many "productive meetings" on Capitol Hill regarding her nomination. Trump Picks Dr. Janette Nesheiwat As Nation's Next Surgeon General Nesheiwat recently met with the staff for the Senate HELP Committee, along with all the health policy GOP staffers. Sources said those staffers have expressed support for her nomination as medical director in the Public Health Service and surgeon general. Nesheiwat also met with Democrat Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, along with Democrat Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. Sources told Fox News Digital that Blackburn is supportive of Nesheiwat. Details of Nesheiwat's meetings with Hickenlooper and Alsobrooks were not immediately clear. The sources said various topics were discussed during those meetings, including fighting chronic illness, diseases, opioids, the mission of MAHA, vaccines, good nutrition, educating Americans with science-backed data, combating healthcare provider shortages, mental health, food deserts and the government's role in tracking health crises and emerging health threats. Read On The Fox News App Sources said the conversations have been "positive, productive conversations." Nesheiwat has met, so far, with all the Republican senators on the Senate HELP Committee except for Sen. Josh Hawley. A source told Fox News Digital that Sen. Katie Brit of Alabama, who is not on the committee, wants to meet with Nesheiwat in early May. Nesheiwat, formerly a Fox News contributor, is double-board certified in family medicine and urgent care medicine. Nesheiwat, a daughter of Jordanian immigrants, led frontline medical teams during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, along with her past work managing public health responses during flu epidemics, the opioid crisis, the monkeypox outbreak and other major health challenges. She also was named the first female medical director for CityMD in Manhattan — one of America's largest urgent care systems. Short Questions With Dana Perino For Dr. Janette Nesheiwat Upon nominating Nesheiwat to the position, Trump said she is a "fierce advocate and strong communicator for preventative medicine and public health." "I am proud to announce that Dr. Janette Nesheiwat will be the Nation's Doctor as the United States Surgeon General. Dr. Nesheiwat is a double board-certified Medical Doctor with an unwavering commitment to saving and treating thousands of American lives," he said. "She is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to affordable, quality healthcare, and believes in empowering individuals to take charge of their health to live longer, healthier lives." Trump praised Nesheiwat's work during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying she "worked on the front lines in New York City treating thousands of Americans and helped patients in the aftermath of President Donald Trump's Historic Operation Warp Speed that saved hundreds of millions of lives." He also praised her "expertise and leadership" after New Orleans' Hurricane Katrina and the Joplin tornadoes. The president said Nesheiwat "will play a pivotal role in MAKING AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!" Meanwhile, after meeting with Nesheiwat, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy said Nesheiwat is "aware of the issues facing our nation and how they relate all the way down to counseling a patient in an exam room." "A very good meeting," he said. As for the MAHA movement led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Republicans say Nesheiwat represents the vision of the Trump administration. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said Nesheiwat "understands the MAHA movement." "With the Trump admin, American health is no longer taking a back seat," Banks said. Additionally, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said that "Making America Healthy Again starts with having strong leadership" within Health and Human Services. "I know that @DoctorJanette, President Trump's nominee for Surgeon General, will be a fierce MAHA advocate and will work with @SecKennedy to increase transparency in our healthcare system," Tuberville said. Nesheiwat began her medical education at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. She completed her initial curriculum at the school's Saint Maarten campus. She then went on to complete her clinical rotations at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Metropolitan State Hospital, Guy's & St. Thomas Hospitals and Medway Maritime Hospital. Nesheiwat completed her family medicine residence at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Area Health Education Center, and was elected chief resident during her final year. In 2009, Nesheiwat achieved board certification in family medicine for the American Board of Family Medicine, and in 2020 achieved board certification in urgent care medicine with the American Board of Urgent Care Medicine. Nesheiwat's hearing is set for May 8 at 10:00 a.m., when senators on the Senate HELP Committee, will question her ahead of her confirmation article source: Trump's surgeon general pick touted as 'fierce' MAHA advocate before confirmation hearing
Fox News
02-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Trump's surgeon general pick touted as 'fierce' MAHA advocate before confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's pick for U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, has been making the rounds on Capitol Hill, garnering support ahead of her upcoming confirmation hearing, with senators describing her as a "fierce" advocate for the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement. Sources familiar with her confirmation hearing prep told Fox News Digital that Nesheiwat has had many "productive meetings" on Capitol Hill regarding her nomination. Nesheiwat recently met with the staff for the Senate HELP Committee, along with all the health policy GOP staffers. Sources said those staffers have expressed support for her nomination as medical director in the Public Health Service and surgeon general. Nesheiwat also met with Democrat Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, along with Democrat Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. Sources told Fox News Digital that Blackburn is supportive of Nesheiwat. Details of Nesheiwat's meetings with Hickenlooper and Alsobrooks were not immediately clear. The sources said various topics were discussed during those meetings, including fighting chronic illness, diseases, opioids, the mission of MAHA, vaccines, good nutrition, educating Americans with science-backed data, combating healthcare provider shortages, mental health, food deserts and the government's role in tracking health crises and emerging health threats. Sources said the conversations have been "positive, productive conversations." Nesheiwat has met, so far, with all the Republican senators on the Senate HELP Committee except for Sen. Josh Hawley. A source told Fox News Digital that Sen. Katie Brit of Alabama, who is not on the committee, wants to meet with Nesheiwat in early May. Nesheiwat, formerly a Fox News contributor, is double-board certified in family medicine and urgent care medicine. Nesheiwat, a daughter of Jordanian immigrants, led frontline medical teams during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, along with her past work managing public health responses during flu epidemics, the opioid crisis, the monkeypox outbreak and other major health challenges. She also was named the first female medical director for CityMD in Manhattan — one of America's largest urgent care systems. Upon nominating Nesheiwat to the position, Trump said she is a "fierce advocate and strong communicator for preventative medicine and public health." "I am proud to announce that Dr. Janette Nesheiwat will be the Nation's Doctor as the United States Surgeon General. Dr. Nesheiwat is a double board-certified Medical Doctor with an unwavering commitment to saving and treating thousands of American lives," he said. "She is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to affordable, quality healthcare, and believes in empowering individuals to take charge of their health to live longer, healthier lives." Trump praised Nesheiwat's work during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying she "worked on the front lines in New York City treating thousands of Americans and helped patients in the aftermath of President Donald Trump's Historic Operation Warp Speed that saved hundreds of millions of lives." He also praised her "expertise and leadership" after New Orleans' Hurricane Katrina and the Joplin tornadoes. The president said Nesheiwat "will play a pivotal role in MAKING AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!" Meanwhile, after meeting with Nesheiwat, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy said Nesheiwat is "aware of the issues facing our nation and how they relate all the way down to counseling a patient in an exam room." "A very good meeting," he said. As for the MAHA movement led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Republicans say Nesheiwat represents the vision of the Trump administration. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said Nesheiwat "understands the MAHA movement." "With the Trump admin, American health is no longer taking a back seat," Banks said. Additionally, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said that "Making America Healthy Again starts with having strong leadership" within Health and Human Services. "I know that @DoctorJanette, President Trump's nominee for Surgeon General, will be a fierce MAHA advocate and will work with @SecKennedy to increase transparency in our healthcare system," Tuberville said. Nesheiwat began her medical education at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. She completed her initial curriculum at the school's Saint Maarten campus. She then went on to complete her clinical rotations at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Metropolitan State Hospital, Guy's & St. Thomas Hospitals and Medway Maritime Hospital. Nesheiwat completed her family medicine residence at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Area Health Education Center, and was elected chief resident during her final year. In 2009, Nesheiwat achieved board certification in family medicine for the American Board of Family Medicine, and in 2020 achieved board certification in urgent care medicine with the American Board of Urgent Care Medicine. Nesheiwat's hearing is set for May 8 at 10:00 a.m., when senators on the Senate HELP Committee, will question her ahead of her confirmation vote.
Politico
17-03-2025
- Business
- Politico
Sanders puts Musk in focus amid DOGE cuts
QUICK FIX WHO'S REALLY RUNNING DOL?: Since losing his post atop the Senate HELP Committee, Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — the panel's current ranking member — has unsurprisingly been frosty toward President Donald Trump's nominees to lead the Labor Department. However, amid the so-called Department of Government Efficiency's effort to purge federal employees, Sanders has taken a more uninterested tone in the nominees themselves by dismissing the president's picks and asserting that Elon Musk will ultimately be the one to shape their agencies. 'The next secretary of Labor, the next secretary of Education, the next secretary of [Housing and Urban Development], next secretary of the Treasury is Elon Musk and let us understand that reality and play go along with the charades,' Sanders said before lawmakers voted to confirm Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Sanders also left Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling's nomination hearing early and has made sure to highlight Musk at nearly every hearing he's attended. When asked about how he's approached the nominee process for Trump's picks, he told Shift last week that he only left one hearing early, but his move to shift the focus to Musk is one of the many strategies Democrats are attempting in standing up to Trump's effort to remake the federal government. As Democrats have resorted to pointing fingers and searching for a coherent message since Trump's victory last fall, Sanders has hit the road to hold rallies with strong attendance where he's focused on pocketbook issues while calling attention to the risks of taking a chainsaw to federal agencies. With several additional labor and employment nominees set to appear for the committee in the coming months, Sanders is likely to continue highlighting Musk's role in the federal government, especially as new polling shows that his work leading DOGE is deeply unpopular with the American public. GOOD MORNING. It's Monday, March 17. Welcome back to Morning Shift, your go-to tipsheet on labor and employment-related immigration. Send feedback, tips and exclusives to nniedzwiadek@ lukenye@ rdugyala@ and gmott@ Follow us on X at @NickNiedz and @Lawrence_Ukenye. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. AROUND THE AGENCIES NOT SO EAGER: Federal employees reinstated by a pair of district court rulings last week aren't rushing to reclaim their jobs and are already filling out applications for other roles after losing faith in their previous employers. 'The government hates us,' Oleka Chmura, 28, an employee who previously worked at Yellowstone National Park, told The Washington Post. 'I was originally putting up with it because I believed in the park's mission, but I can't go back to the anxiety of, 'Am I fired or am I not?'' Some employees were excited to return to work but discovered that their agencies weren't part of lawsuits in California and Maryland that led federal judges to order the Trump administration to call fired feds back to work. More agency news: 'UFL players file complaint with NLRB over CBA talks,' from ESPN. Even more: "Federal Budget Ax Threatens Contractors, but Could Also Be an Opportunity,' from The New York Times. On The Hill FUNDING FALLOUT: Democrats continued their recriminations into the weekend after Senate leaders chose to support a stopgap funding bill that the party seemingly broadly opposed, with many directing their ire at Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Some lawmakers did come to his defense, including Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who notably voted against the bill. 'Leader Schumer has a very difficult job. I don't envy the job that he has,' Murphy said Sunday on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' adding: 'I still support Senator Schumer as leader.' Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who appeared on ABC's 'This Week,' threw cold water on the anger directed against his colleagues who backed the continuing resolution, arguing that entering a government shutdown would've empowered the Office of Personnel Management to pursue deeper cuts to the federal workforce. Schumer backlash continues: ''Uniting anger': Democrats fume over Schumer's handling of funding fight,' from our Holly Otterbein, Lisa Kashinsky, Jordain Carney, Elena Schneider and Brakkton Booker. Unions NOT ON THEIR WATCH: Nurses unions are pushing back against hospitals for adding AI tools that monitor patients' vital signs and develop action plans for care as they grapple with staff shortages, The Associated Press reports. 'Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses,' said Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United. 'The entire ecosystem is designed to automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers.' The union has organized more than a dozen protests urging hospitals to let their staff dictate how the technology is used, and guardrails against discipline for personnel who choose not to follow medical advice from AI. In the Workplace DISTRICT DOWNTURN: The D.C. economy could enter a recession as early as this year due to the widespread job losses from the Trump administration's effort to trim the federal workforce, CNN reports. Oxford Economics estimates the region could lose nearly $5 billion in wages from cuts to federal jobs, which will likely ripple through the region's consumer-facing businesses, including hospitality and retail. Not just D.C.: 'DOGE Upheaval Arrives in Cities Far From Washington,' from The Wall Street Journal. TESLA TUMBLES: AkademikerPension, a Danish pension fund, is dropping its Tesla shares over the company's worker rights record and Elon Musk's support for far-right political candidates, Bloomberg reports. The move comes after the company's stocks tumbled in recent weeks, prompting Trump to hold an event at the White House featuring the EVs to show support for Musk. The company's stocks briefly began to rebound last week. Conservatives began to rally around the car brand last week, while the left escalated their attacks against Musk, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who announced last week that he was getting rid of his Tesla and called the vehicle 'a rolling billboard' for Musk. More workplace news: 'Davos organiser promises revamp after probe into workplace discrimination,' from the Financial Times. WHAT WE'RE READING — 'How Trump's 'No Tax on Tips' Could Backfire for the Working Class,' from Bloomberg. — 'To Investigate Labor Abuse, We Began With a Question: Who Profits?,' from The New York Times. — 'CEOs Face More Accountability When a Board Member Has Military Experience,' from The Wall Street Journal. — 'Other states are preparing for the House NIL settlement. But can Florida schools compete?,' from our Andrew Atterbury. THAT'S YOUR SHIFT!
Politico
05-03-2025
- Health
- Politico
NIH pick makes his case
Presented by Driving The Day DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK — During his confirmation hearing before the Senate HELP Committee this morning, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya will try to convince senators to confirm him to lead the government's preeminent health research agency, the National Institutes of Health, POLITICO's Erin Schumaker reports. And if Bhattacharya so chooses, it's a chance to settle old Covid scores. The Stanford health economist arguably wouldn't be considered for the job if he hadn't co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020. Thousands of public health experts signed the open letter, which argued against lockdown measures in favor of letting low-risk individuals build up herd immunity while older, sick people self-isolated. Federal scientists and many others criticized the letter as dangerous and unethical. Bhattacharya's prepared remarks for today endorse HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's desire to shift focus toward the causes and treatment of chronic diseases, convey skepticism of existing science and express disgust with NIH leadership during the pandemic. Bhattacharya accuses his predecessors of fostering 'a culture of coverup, obfuscation, and a lack of tolerance for ideas that differed from theirs.' 'Dissent is the very essence of science,' Bhattacharya is expected to say at the hearing. He did not respond to a request for comment. State of play: If confirmed, Bhattacharya will oversee the world's largest health research budget, $48 billion, which universities and researchers worldwide depend on. But he'll also arrive as the Trump administration moves to slash NIH funding to grantees by $4 billion, cut staff, and defund work on racial inequities and transgender care. What we're watching: Republicans, like Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, will give Bhattacharya a chance to articulate his plans for the agency. Cassidy's own plan to overhaul the agency involves subjecting NIH decisions to more outside scrutiny and streamlining the peer-review process. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), also on the HELP Committee, has his own agenda to press, including a bill to divide the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci's old agency, into three institutes led by Senate-confirmed directors limited to two five-year terms. Paul's Risky Research Review Act, which the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved last year on a bipartisan vote, is likely to come up. It takes aim at so-called gain-of-function research, in which scientists make pathogens more dangerous to better study them, taking authority over such research away from NIH. Bhattacharya, in his prepared remarks, said it should be vigorously regulated. What's next: The hearing is expected to propel Bhattacharya to confirmation as NIH director. Democrats, facing a 47-53 deficit in the Senate, don't have the power to block Bhattacharya's nomination. They'll have to hope his long history in academia means he'll resist Elon Musk's efforts to root out government waste, which has led to the termination of about 1,200 NIH employees. 'The world's premier biomedical research agency needs a leader who believes in its mission,' Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) told POLITICO in a statement. WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY PULSE. Some members of our team got a chance to see the Stanley Cup in the office of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) yesterday. Emmer is a notable hockey fan. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to ccirruzzo@ and khooper@ and follow along @ChelseaCirruzzo and @Kelhoops. At the White House MAHA SHOUTOUT — In his first address of his second term to Congress, President Donald Trump shouted out HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' mission. 'Since 1975, rates of child cancer have increased by more than 40 percent. Reversing this trend is one of our top priorities for our new Make America Healthy Again Commission,' which was created by an executive order and chaired by Kennedy, Trump said. 'Our goal is to get toxins out of our environment, poisons out of the food supply and keep our children healthy and strong,' he added. He also pointed to a CDC statistic that 1 in 36 children have been diagnosed with autism. During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy refused to back down from false claims linking vaccines to autism and said he would reverse his view if 'shown the data.' 'There's something wrong,' Trump said. 'We're going to find out what it is, and there's nobody better than Bobby … to figure out what is going on.' Trump otherwise made little mention of health care. Abortion EMTALA CASE DROPPED — Ahead of a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, the Trump administration said yesterday it would drop a lawsuit against Idaho over the right to emergency abortion care, POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein reports. Background: The high-profile case was brought on initially by the Biden administration, which argued that Idaho's enforcement of its near-total abortion ban during medical emergencies violated Ronald Reagan-era patient protections under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, better known as EMTALA. The Supreme Court weighed and punted the case to lower court judges last year, saying it took up the issue prematurely. What happened: The Boise hospital network St. Luke's said in a court filing Tuesday that the Justice Department informed the network that it is moving to dismiss the case. In that same brief, St. Luke's, which sued the state in January because it expected the Trump administration to bow out, pleaded for a temporary restraining order ahead of a scheduled hearing today to ensure that emergency abortions don't become illegal again while the court deliberates. On Tuesday night, an Idaho district court judge granted the temporary restraining order barring the state attorney general from prosecuting medical providers who assist with abortions in medical emergencies. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment. The Idaho attorney general's office did not respond to questions about its plans for the case. The Trump administration hasn't yet indicated whether it plans to rescind the Biden administration's 2022 guidance that hospitals must render stabilizing care in an emergency, including abortions when necessary, regardless of state bans. AROUND THE AGENCIES BYE, BYE BRUTALIST BUILDING? HHS' iconic brutalist headquarters building in downtown Washington was briefly targeted for sale as part of a government downsizing effort, I report with POLITICO's Sophia Cai. The FDA's sprawling White Oak Campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, and CMS' headquarters near Baltimore were also on the potential chopping block. The headquarters for the three agencies appeared on a list of 'nonessential' buildings that could be sold by the General Services Administration, which manages federal buildings. As of Tuesday night, both HHS and FDA buildings had been removed, but CMS remains. 'For decades, chronic underfunding has left many of these buildings functionally obsolete and unsuitable for the modern federal workforce,' the GSA said in a statement. 'We can no longer assume that funding will materialize to fix these longstanding issues.' The GSA compiled a list of nonessential buildings at the behest of Elon Musk and his government-efficiency push. Sales of the buildings, which also included the JFK federal building in Boston, are not yet definite. The GSA said in a statement that it 'welcomes creative solutions, including sale-lease backs, ground leases and other forms of public/private partnerships to drive the full optimization of our space.' HHS did not respond to requests for comment. CDC REHIRES STAFF — Some terminated CDC fellows who worked on lab safety and public health threats are being reinstated, POLITICO's Sophie Gardner reports. Fellows at the Laboratory Leadership Service and the Public Health Associate Program were informed that they could return to their jobs, according to two reinstated fellows who spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Fellows received an email, which was obtained by POLITICO, with the subject line 'read this email immediately' Tuesday. The email rescinded their termination 'after further review and consideration.' The staff had been placed on administrative leave in mid-February and had expected to be terminated on March 14. 'You are cleared to return to work on Wednesday, March 5, 2025,' the email reads. 'We apologize for any disruption that this may have caused.' Roughly 700 CDC employees were cut last month on the recommendation of Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency. It's unclear how many employees were reinstated, and the CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. WHAT WE'RE READING POLITICO's Robert King reports that CMS has pulled health equity guidance for states. Chelsea reports on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy touting vitamin A as a measles treatment. Kelly reports that United Healthcare has pledged a 10 percent cut on prior authorizations. POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian reports that the Florida governor said he expects federal regulators to ban fluoride in drinking water.
