Merck (NYSE:MRK) announced today that chief executive Kenneth Frazier plans to resign from President Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council, citing the president’s mild-mannered response to a white nationalist rally in Virginia on Saturday. The “Unite The Right” gathering turned deadly when a car mowed down a group of counter-protesters, killing at least one person and injuring […]
Capitol Hill
Trump declares national emergency over opioid epidemic
President Trump said yesterday that he is preparing to declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency. This is a reversal from an announcement made earlier this week by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who said that they would not declare a state of emergency. “The opioid crisis is an emergency, and I’m saying […]
Conservative groups jump on medical device tax repeal bandwagon
A coalition of conservative action groups yesterday jumped on the bandwagon for repealing the medical device tax, urging Congressional leaders to scrap the 2.3% levy on U.S. medtech sales. In a letter to House speaker Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate majority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the group also advocated for repealing a tax […]
US Senate passes FDA user fee reauthorization bill
US Senators today voted to pass the FDA’s Reauthorization Act of 2017 to reauthorize the FDA’s user fee program, sending the bill on to the President’s desk to sign. The FDA Reauthorization Act renews an existing law that expires on Sept. 30 and which provides the majority of FDA funds used to regulate pharmaceuticals and […]
Senate mulls bare-bones Trumpcare bill ahead of votes marathon
(Reuters) — U.S. Senate Republicans embarked today on another push to unravel Obamacare, working on a stripped-down bill after failing to pass broader legislation and complete a seven-year campaign to gut a law that extended health coverage to millions. Republicans leaders hope a so-called “skinny bill,” which repeals a few key provisions of Democratic former […]
UPDATE: Senate votes to open Trumpcare debate, falters on Obamacare repeal-and-replace
U.S. Senate Republicans overcame one hurdle on their race to repeal and replace Obamacare, narrowly passing a procedural motion to open debate on the measure, but failed to win enough votes to pass the actual bill. The Senate deadlocked at 50-50 on whether to move forward on the healthcare debate, with Vice President Mike Pence […]
‘Any moving vehicle’: Medtech seeks a path for medical device tax repeal as Trumpcare dies
The likely demise of Republican plans to repeal Obamacare and replace it with their own version of healthcare reform has the medtech industry casting about for another way to get a repeal of the medical device tax into law. The U.S. House and Senate version of the Trumpcare legislation would have, among other things, done […]
Despite failed attempts, Trump orders continued effort on Obamacare repeal
President Trump has demanded that GOP senators return their attention to repealing and replacing Obamacare, despite failing to rally enough votes to pass the Republican-inked Trumpcare bill, or a straight repeal of the healthcare legislation. Yesterday, Trump ordered Republican senators to stay in Washington until they could enact a measure to roll back Obamacare and […]
More defections scuttle Republican plan to repeal Obamacare without replacement
Republican efforts repeal Obamacare despite the failure of their replacement healthcare reform plan likewise collapsed late yesterday, after a trio of moderate GOPers said they wouldn’t support the measure. Following the Trumpcare flameout yesterday, majority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced a vote on a straight repeal of Obamacare to take effect in two years, […]
Trumpcare foundering, GOP kicks the can past the 2018 mid-terms
The latest version of the Republican plan for healthcare reform foundered last night after two more GOP senators said they would not back the measure, making it impossible for majority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to muster enough votes for passage. Late last night McConnell said Republicans would instead take up legislation to repeal Obamacare […]
McCain surgery delays Trumpcare vote
The U.S. Senate over the weekend delayed a showdown over Trumpcare, the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) underwent surgery to remove a 2-in. blood clot above his left eye. “Elaine and I, along with the entire Senate family, wish John the very best and wish him a speedy […]