Healthcare

Washington, DC – Following a meeting this afternoon with United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, this joint statement is issued by all the participating House Members - Congressmembers Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jesús García (D-IL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), and Andy Levin (D-MI):

Washington, D.C. – This afternoon, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) led all fellow Texas Democratic Members in urging the Biden Administration to utilize renegotiation of its Medicaid Section 1115 waiver as an opportunity to achieve significant reductions in the unacceptably high number of uninsured Texans. This follows the Biden Administration rightfully rescinding an illegal Trump Administration premature approval for an unprecedented ten years of the current waiver, which does not even expire until September 30, 2022.

Washington, D.C. – This morning, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair, led 50 bicameral Members of Congress in a request to HHS Secretary Becerra and Defense Secretary Austin for the unredacted COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic contracts. Representative Doggett was joined in this request by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and dozens of House colleagues. For months, Members have sought transparency regarding over $20 billion of taxpayer money spent on the research and development, manufacturing, and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. The former Trump Administration gave Big Pharma these billions in secret agreements, with the full terms of these deals still undisclosed.

Washington, D.C. – At this important point for determining the post-pandemic future of telehealth, House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) announces a hearing, “Charting the Path Forward for Telehealth,” on Wednesday, April 28 at 1 P.M./2 P.M. EST.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, reacted to today’s reintroduction of the prescription drug pricing bill, HR 3, and on the need for strong, comprehensive protection from pharmaceutical price gouging:

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chairman of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, praised the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) for withdrawing a Trump Administration rule that would have stripped consumer protections from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The VICP was established in 1986 to provide fair compensation to the very few, an estimated 1 in 1 million vaccine recipients, who are injured by a covered vaccination. Under former President Trump, HHS had rushed a final rule to eliminate protections for two of the most common vaccine injuries: SIRVA and syncope. SIRVA, an injury to the shoulder caused by an error in administration, accounts for over half of recent vaccine injuries. Trump ignored the facts and the experts in pushing this rule, despite unanimous opposition by the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, and strong opposition by vaccine manufacturers, pediatricians, and pharmacists. Today, under a humane Administration, HHS officially withdrew this dangerous rule. Rep. Doggett released the following statement: