The Affordable Care Act is poised to lose one of its greatest House of Representatives allies with the retirement of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), announced this week.
U.S. Congress
Is Sen Majority Leader Reid open to medtech tax repeal?
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters this week that he’s looking for a few good proposals to alter the Affordable Care Act, giving fellow Senate Democrats a chance to advance bills that may win them some favor during an mid-term elections.
Congress passes the National Pediatric Research Network Act
By Tom Ulrich
Vector is taking some time off for the holidays, but we wanted to leave you with some good news. After nearly 10 years of lobbying and debate, Congress finally passed the National Pediatric Research Network Act (NPRNA). President Barack Obama signed the act into law on Nov. 27.
FDA’s lost $85 million in users fees so far due to sequestration, OMB says
Federal officials confirmed this week that the government shutdown and budget sequester had drained some $85 million from the FDA’s coffers, all from the fees that medical device and pharmaceutical companies pay directly to the agency.
The shutdown may be over, but sequestration still threatens research
The impact on science of this month’s federal government shutdown is still being calculated. But even before the shutdown, research across the U.S. was on rough footing.
Medtech isn’t giving up on repealing the medical device tax | MassDevice.com On Call
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — The country may have moved on from the federal shutdown in which the medical device tax took center stage, but a group of die-hard legislators from states with large medtech clusters are pressing to repeal the 2.3% levy.
"This is something that leaders of both parties know is a high priority for a number of members, both Democrat and Republican," Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) told USA Today. "It is something that we have assurances will continue to be looked at and get done."
Shutdown ends, FDA user fees begin
The FDA can begin collecting user fees from medical device companies for fiscal 2014 now that the federal shutdown is over.
The watchdog agency announced new rates for the fees in August, but couldn’t begin collecting them when the fiscal year began Oct. 1 because of the shutdown that began that day.
No medical device tax repeal as Senate reaches deal to end shutdown
Senate leaders reached a deal to end the federal shutdown and avoid default on the U.S. government’s debts, Politico is reporting, sending U.S. stock markets up.
The Dow Jones index rose 1.3% to 15,371.08, the S&P 500 jumped 1.4% to 1,721.18 and the NASDAQ exchange posted a 1.2% increase to 3,837.93 after the news broke today.
Reports: Medical device tax is off the table
Washington was a hive of activity again over the weekend and into yesterday, as legislators worked to hash out a deal to re-open the federal government and raise the debt ceiling.
But a proposed delay of the the medical device tax that’s part of Obamacare is reportedly dead in the water, after Senate Democrats rejected a plan by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that would have seen the levy put off for 2 years.
Medical device tax repeal is still in play on Capitol Hill
The medical device tax continues to play a big role in the budget stalemate on Capitol Hill, where lobbyists haven’t let go of efforts to repeal the levy.
As a $30 billion piece of the funding for the Affordable care Act, the medtech tax has become a political football as warring factions in Congress fight over the debt ceiling.
BREAKING: House votes to fund FDA past shutdown
The U.S. House of Representatives voted tonight to fund the FDA until the federal shutdown ends or until Dec. 15, whichever comes first.
The lower chamber approved on a 235-162 vote a joint resolution by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) that restores funding to the level established by sequestration, which is about $200 million less than originally authorized.