AGD Capitol Connections

President Joe Biden detailed his "American Families Plan" (fact sheet) in a speech to Congress on Wednesday, April 28. The President's plan will seek to expand federal support for lower-income and middle-class Americans, offset by a series of tax increases on wealthy Americans' incomes, investments, and estates.

On April 22, the House Democratic leaders reintroduced H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. The legislation would allow the federal government to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs and cap seniors' out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2,000 per year.

On April 29, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law is holding a hearing at 1:00 pm (ET) entitled "Treating the Problem: Addressing Anticompetitive Conduct and Consolidation in Health Care Markets."

On March 30, AGD sent a letter to Rachel L. Levine, M.D. congratulating her on being confirmed by the Senate to serve as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

On April 9, the nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) announced five key policy recommendations the lawmaker group is advocating to be included in President Biden’s proposed American Jobs Plan.

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on and pass the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R.1195). The legislation directs OSHA to issue a safety and health standard that would require certain health care and social service sector employers to implement workplace violence prevention plans.

AGD and other members of the Organized Dentistry Coalition recently sent a letter of support to Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) for the Ensuring Kids Have Access to Medically Necessary Dental Care Act (S.448).

AGD joined allies in sending letters to the leaders of the House and Senate subcommittees that allocate funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), calling for $310 million in funding in FY2022 for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH).

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told reporters on March 26 that he is urging the Administration and his Democratic colleagues in Congress to include a massive expansion of the Medicare program as part of a sweeping infrastructure package Democrats are currently developing.

On March 24, AGD sent a letter to Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., MBA, congratulating him on being confirmed by the Senate to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the United States.

AGD sent a letter of support to Representative Karen Bass (D-CA) on March 25 for her bipartisan legislation, the Foster Youth Dental Act of 2021 (H.R.1794).

On March 16, Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Representatives Anna Eshoo (R-CA) and Drew Ferguson, D.M.D. (R-GA) reintroduced ELSA, the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (H.R.1916/S.754).

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) recently introduced the Oral Health for Moms Act (S.560).

AGD joined hundreds of allied organizations in an effort led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to have the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) extended beyond its current end-of-month expiration date.

On March 11, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (H.R.1319), a massive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid package passed using the budget reconciliation process in Congress. No Republicans in the House or Senate voted in favor of the legislation.

AGD send a letter of support to Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) on March 5 for their bipartisan legislation, the Healthy Workplaces Act (S.537). The bill would create a tax credit for qualified expenses that help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

Effective March 11, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the seventh amendment to the Declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) to authorize dentists and dental students to administer COVID-19 vaccines in all 50 states.

Representatives Yvette Clark (D-NY) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) have reintroduced a bill to improve the dental faculty loan repayment program, the Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act (H.R.1285/S.449).

On February 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the third vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The EUA allows the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine to be distributed in the U.S for use in individuals 18 years of age and older.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act (H.R.1319) on February 27, along a party-line vote. The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus proposal will now be taken up in the Senate, where the package will be revised to remove a provision that would increase the federal minimum wage to $15/hour.