On July 23, the White House released its strategic action plan on AI, “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan” (the AI Action Plan), which is designed to secure U.S. global leadership in AI with a strategic focus on...more
WHAT: A Massachusetts federal judge blocked the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from cutting hundreds of programs that provide grants to universities, hospitals, and other organizations. The judge found that NIH offered...more
The President’s Budget Request Impact on Programs for the Disabled and Older Americans Act Programs - This is part three of a series on health care budget cuts....more
THIS WEEK’S DOSE - - Reconciliation Moves Forward. Senate committees continue to release their reconciliation provisions. - NIH Director Testifies on FY 2026 Budget. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Bhattacharya...more
The U.S. Senate will likely release additional sections of the reconciliation package this week. It is unlikely the Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, will hold a markup on its portion of the...more
This is part two of a series on health care budget cuts. The President’s Budget Requests Dramatically Reduce Biomedical Research - The president’s budget request was a major disappointment to those interested in...more
In response to concerns about eroded public confidence in scientists and the alleged misuse of scientific information by federal agencies to justify political ends, President Trump’s “Restoring Gold Standard Science”...more
Below is Alston & Bird’s Health Care Week in Review, which provides a synopsis of the latest news in health care regulations, notices, and guidance; federal legislation and congressional committee action; reports, studies,...more
In response to President Trump’s February 13, 2025, Executive Order (EO) 14212, “Establishing The President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission,” the White House issued part of what is being called “The MAHA Report” (with...more
When Jerry Menikoff retired at the end of 2022 after leading the HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) for 14 years, he left behind an agency limping along with 20 employees, less than half of what it needed. For...more
On May 22, 2025, President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released an assessment titled “The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment.” The report—framed as a “call to action”—stems from a...more
On May 2, 2025, the White House released President Trump’s recommendations for discretionary funding in 2026. These recommendations would result in “significant savings” and budget cuts to several healthcare programs. The May...more
U.S. House of Representatives committees are scheduled to begin markups on additional portions of the budget reconciliation package on May 13, 2025. Both the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Energy...more
Reconciliation markups in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, as well as the House Committee on Ways and Means, were expected to be held this week but have been postponed until next week at the...more
Over the past few weeks, we have been closely following the Trump administration’s restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the major reduction in the department’s workforce (RIF), and its broader...more
U.S. Congress returns from a two-week recess this week and has lofty goals to draft, mark up and pass a reconciliation bill by Memorial Day 2025. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, which was...more
Looking Ahead: House to Vote on Compromise Budget Resolution On the heels of the U.S. Senate's passage of a compromise budget resolution, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider the budget resolution on the...more
In just over two months since President Donald Trump assumed office, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), now under the leadership of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has undergone a profound shift in its...more
New rounds of cuts and organizational shifts for HHS staff and operating divisions could dramatically impact the healthcare and life sciences industry....more
An edict issued without warning in February 2025 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), having the effect of slashing funding by the NIH across the board, has been put on a nationwide hold for now by a federal court in...more
On March 27, 2025, HHS announced a downsizing and restructuring plan that combines personnel cuts, centralization of functions, and consolidation of HHS divisions. Among other things, the plan aims to cut the HHS workforce by...more
Senate Confirms FDA, NIH Nominations, Advances CMS Nomination. On March 25, 2025, the Senate confirmed Martin Makary, MD, as the next FDA commissioner by a 56 – 44 vote. Sens. Durbin (D-IL), Hassan (D-NH), and Shaheen (D-NH)...more
On March 27, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a significant restructuring initiative in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, “Implementing the President’s Department of Government...more