U.S. Congress

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  • What the Health? From Թϲ

    Public Health Further Politicized Under the Threat of More Firings

    Episode 415

    In a rambling news conference that shocked public health experts, President Donald Trump — without scientific evidence — blamed the over-the-counter drug acetaminophen, and too many childhood vaccines, for the increase in autism diagnoses in the U.S. That came days after a key immunization advisory panel, newly reconstituted with vaccine doubters, changed several long-standing recommendations. Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Demetre Daskalakis joins Թϲ’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories. Meanwhile, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join Rovner with the rest of the news, including a threat by the Trump administration to fire rather than furlough federal workers if Congress fails to fund the government beyond the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.

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  • What the Health? From Թϲ

    Countdown to Government Shutdown

    Episode 413

    With less than three weeks before the deadline to pass legislation to keep the federal government running, lawmakers are still far apart on a strategy. Democrats hope Republicans will agree to extend expanded tax credits for the Affordable Care Act as part of a compromise, but so far Republicans are not negotiating. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released his long-awaited “Make America Healthy Again” report, with few specific action items. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join Թϲ’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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  • What the Health? From Թϲ

    On Capitol Hill, RFK Defends Firings at CDC

    Episode 412

    A combative Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the U.S. secretary of health and human services, appeared before a Senate committee Thursday, defending his firing of the newly confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other changes that could limit the availability of vaccines. Meanwhile, Congress has only a few weeks to complete work on annual spending bills to avoid a possible government shutdown and to ward off potentially large increases in premiums for Affordable Care Act health plans. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join Թϲ’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Թϲ’ Tony Leys, who discusses his “Bill of the Month” report about a woman’s unfortunate interaction with a bat — and her even more unfortunate interaction with the bill for her rabies prevention treatment.

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  • What the Health? From Թϲ

    Trump Further Politicizes Science

    Episode 410

    President Donald Trump’s latest executive order about science and medicine seeks to take funding decisions out of the hands of career scientists and give them to political appointees instead. And a gunman, reportedly disgruntled over covid vaccines, shoots at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, killing a law enforcement officer. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join Թϲ’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Aaron Carroll, president and CEO of the health services research group AcademyHealth, about how to restore the public’s trust in public health.

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  • What the Health? From Թϲ

    Kennedy Cancels Vaccine Funding

    Episode 409

    The Health and Human Services secretary is winding down nearly $500 million in mRNA research funding, citing false claims that the technology is ineffective against respiratory illnesses — and notching a victory for critics of the covid vaccines. And President Donald Trump is demanding drugmakers drop their prices, quickly, but it’s unclear how he could make them comply. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join Թϲ’ Emmarie Huetteman to discuss these stories and more.

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  • A woman wearing black-rimmed glasses and a white-and-brown patterned top sits at a table holding a cell phone while posing for a portrait

    Work Requirements and Red Tape Ahead for Millions on Medicaid

    Work requirements are coming for the millions of Americans on Medicaid, due to the Republican tax and spend bill that President Donald Trump signed into law July 4. Currently, Georgia is the only state with a work requirement. Eligible Georgians say it’s very hard to get the system to confirm they qualify, putting their benefits at risk.

    By Jess Mador, WABE
  • What the Health? From Թϲ

    Here Come the ACA Premium Hikes

    Episode 407

    Medicaid may have monopolized Washington’s attention lately, but big changes are coming to the Affordable Care Act as well. Meanwhile, Americans are learning more about what’s in Trump’s big budget law, and polls suggest many don’t like what they see. Julie Appleby of Թϲ, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join Թϲ’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews historian Jonathan Oberlander to mark Medicare’s 60th anniversary.

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  • What the Health? From Թϲ

    The Senate Saves PEPFAR Funding — For Now

    Episode 406

    The Senate narrowly approved the Trump administration’s request to claw back about $9 billion for foreign aid and public broadcasting but refused to cut funding for the international AIDS/HIV program PEPFAR. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court ruled that West Virginia can ban the abortion pill mifepristone, which could allow states to block other FDA-approved drugs. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join Թϲ’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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