Last Tuesday, President Biden signed into law H.R. 5376, the Inflation Reduction Act. Though smaller than the original plans for a reconciliation package, both the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats are touting the measure as a major accomplishment.
Category: Health/Medical
Senate Clears Reconciliation Package; House to Take It Up Friday
After a marathon series of votes on amendments over the weekend, the Senate cleared by a vote of 51-50 a version of the reconciliation budget package. With all 50 Democrats supporting the measure and all 50 Republicans voting against it, Vice President Harris cast the tie-breaking vote. Because the measure isa reconciliation bill, which provided it procedural protections, it could move forward in the Senate with a simple majority vote.
The House is currently scheduled to take it up on Friday.
We will provide further details about the bill in the near future.
ARPA-H Established Within NIH as Independent Entity
Earlier today, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra formally unveiled the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA) as an independent agency within the NIH. Along with that announced, Adam H. Russell was named as the Acting Deputy Director of the new organization.
The creation of ARPA-H, modeled on its counterparts at the Department of Defense (DARPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), has been a priority of the Biden Administration.
Read more about today’s announcements here.
House Passes Omnibus, FY22 Chart Now Available
Yesterday the House passed an omnibus appropriations package for FY22, following negotiations between House and Senate appropriators. The final package includes modest increases for key scientific and higher education accounts. The Senate is expected to vote on the package quickly to send it to the President’s desk. Current government funding is set to expire on Friday, so another short continuing resolution will be necessary to allow the Senate to clear procedural steps.
A chart tracking key accounts relevant to UW is available here. Our office will post detailed updates as information becomes available. We will also discuss appropriations in more detail during our town hall on March 24th at noon PT (register here).
2022 Federal Agenda Now Live
The University of Washington has published our 2022 Federal Agenda reaffirming our commitment to a robust partnership with the federal government. You can view the agenda here.
On March 24th at 12pm PT, Director of Federal Relations Sarah Castro will participate in a Town Hall highlighting the key elements of our federal agenda. Members of the UW community can register here.