As expected, the Senate Republicans released earlier today the text of the revised version of their healthcare legislation. The bill language is available here.
It is unclear at this point whether this version will generate enough support for passage. The previous version had to be pulled from consideration because of too much opposition from within the Republican conference.
The House spending bill that would fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in FY2018 includes helpful language on the facilities and administrative (F&A) costs issue. The bill includes the following language on the issue:
In making Federal financial assistance, the NIH shall continue to apply the provisions relating to indirect costs in part 75 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, including with respect to the approval of deviations from negotiated rates, to the same extent and in the same manner as the NIH applied such provisions in the third quarter of fiscal year 2017. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be used by the NIH to develop or implement a modified approach to such provisions, or to intentionally or substantially expand the fiscal effect of the approval of such deviations from negotiated rates beyond the proportional effect of such approvals in such quarter.
The measure is scheduled to be taken up by the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee this afternoon. UW Federal Relations will provide additional updates.
After its July Fourth recess, Congress returns to Washington for three weeks before leaving town for a scheduled five-week August recess.
The Senate Republicans are still trying to address intra-party differences on a “repeal and replace” healthcare bill. In the House, the Appropriations Committee continues to press forward on its versions of FY2018 spending bills even as the assumed total amount of funding available for the bills will require changes to existing law; the Senate appropriators are also attempting to move their first bill this week as well.
Congress is in recess this week.
Although no agreement was reached in the Senate on a new healthcare bill at the end of last week, conversations continue.
Both chambers are scheduled to work next week.
On Tuesday, the Senate Republican leadership postponed a vote on its healthcare legislation until at least after the chamber returns from its week-long July 4th recess.