Full Committee Markup

Committee on Commerce

2025-04-29

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Source: Congress.gov

Summary

This meeting focused on advancing several health-related bills, initially presented as bipartisan efforts to strengthen healthcare and support vulnerable Americans.[ 00:18:35-00:19:08 ] Despite the stated commitment to collaboration, the session was marked by significant partisan division and contention, particularly regarding the Trump administration's alleged restructuring of health agencies and proposed budget cuts.[ 00:22:40-00:22:44 ]

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Reauthorization of Key Health Programs

The committee convened to reauthorize six health bills that previously had bipartisan support and passed the House in the last Congress.[ 00:19:01-00:19:08 ] These included the Support Act for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, focusing on substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery; the SOAR to Health and Wellness Act, supporting human trafficking victims; and the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act, preventing discrimination against individuals with disabilities in organ transplants.[ 00:19:15-00:19:31 ] [ 00:19:39-00:19:42 ] [ 00:20:45-00:20:45 ]

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 Other bills covered human cell and tissue product safety, women and lung cancer research, and seniors' access to critical medications.[ 00:20:56-00:21:30 ]

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 Republicans emphasized the importance of these bills for improving health outcomes and protecting vulnerable populations.[ 00:21:38-00:21:41 ]

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Trump Administration's Impact on Health Agencies and Funding

Democrats raised serious concerns about the Trump administration's actions regarding the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and other health agencies.[ 00:25:42-00:25:49 ]

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 They alleged that hundreds of SAMHSA staff were fired, essential funding to states was cut, and entire offices responsible for data collection and treatment services were eliminated, making it harder for people to find care. These actions were described as illegal and a "glaring dereliction of duty" by congressional Republicans for not conducting proper oversight. Republicans, however, suggested that these actions might be part of government efficiency efforts and that oversight would be conducted through regular budget hearings, not specific hearings requested by Democrats.[ 00:30:39 ]

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Concerns Over Medicaid Cuts

A major point of contention was the anticipated cuts to Medicaid, with Democrats expressing strong opposition to proposed reductions of $880 billion from the Energy and Commerce Committee's jurisdiction.[ 02:24:18 ]

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 They argued these cuts would severely impact vulnerable Americans, including those with substance use disorder, disabilities, and cancer patients, and linked them to tax breaks for billionaires. Republicans stated their intention was not to cut benefits for the most vulnerable but to "restrain the growth" and "modernize the program," ensuring more money is spent on Medicaid each year.[ 02:24:42 ]

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[ 02:24:50 ]

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 The transparency and timing of the release of the reconciliation bill, expected to contain these cuts, also sparked debate.

Patient Access and Safety in Healthcare

Several bills addressed specific patient access and safety issues. The Charlotte Woodward Act aimed to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities in organ transplants, drawing emotional support and personal stories from members.[ 00:20:45-00:20:45 ]

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 The Chandra Izinga Act sought to improve standards and education related to tissue transplants following a death from a contaminated bone graft, emphasizing accountability for companies.[ 00:20:56-00:20:56 ]

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 The Seniors' Access to Critical Medications Act aimed to facilitate prescription delivery for Medicare beneficiaries.[ 00:21:30-00:21:30 ]

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 However, concerns were raised by Democrats about this bill potentially incentivizing consolidation and weakening fraud prevention measures in the healthcare system.

Tone of the Meeting

The tone of the meeting was largely contentious and highly partisan, despite the initial emphasis on bipartisan legislation.[ 00:22:37-00:22:40 ]

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 Democrats expressed deep alarm and frustration, accusing the Republican side of "whistling past the graveyard" and engaging in "political theater" by advancing bills while the administration allegedly dismantled the agencies needed to implement them effectively. Republicans often responded defensively, asserting that Democratic amendments were "unnecessary," "tangential," or "political games" that would delay critical aid to patients.[ 02:44:41 ]

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[ 04:49:31 ]

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 There was a strong undercurrent of mistrust regarding the Trump administration's motives and actions concerning federal health programs and funding, which overshadowed many of the discussions on the specific bills.

Participants

Transcript

Thank you.   Thank you.   Thank you.   Yeah.  Yeah.
Today's markup is yet another important opportunity for our committee to advance legislation that supports the most vulnerable Americans.  By reauthorizing key programs to combat substance use disorder and safeguarding seniors' access to prescription drugs, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening our healthcare system and expanding access to care for patients and their families.   Last Congress, each of the six bills being considered today advanced through this committee unanimously and passed the House with strong bipartisan support.  Our members devoted countless hours collaborating with health care providers, policy experts, and patients to develop these pieces of bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to moving all of them forward once again.  The Support Act for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which I am co-leading with Congresswoman Pedersen, has received   widespread support from over 160 vital substance use disorder treatment and recovery organizations, as well as patient provider advocacy groups.  This legislation reauthorizes key public support programs focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery for patients with substance use disorder that were established in the original Support Act, which was signed into law in 2018.  Similarly, the SOAR to Health and Wellness Act led by Representatives Carter and Cohen will continue vital resources   so local communities can help support individuals who have experienced trafficking.  Another important measure, the Charlotte Woodward, wave your hand.  Welcome.  Welcome back, I should say.  You sat through the long markup the other day.  We're glad to have you back and have this move forward today.  So thank you for your patience and your persistence.  We really appreciate you very, very much.   So this has been, the bill that you're here to support is led by Representatives Kamik, Dingell, Issa, Wasserman-Schultz, and ensures access to life-saving care by preventing discrimination against individuals with disabilities, including Down syndrome with the organ transplant system.
The Chandra Izinga Act, Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act led by Representatives Moulinar and Dingell will support provider and patient education awareness as well as strengthen standards and oversight related to tissue transplants to prevent future outbreaks and preventable tragedies.  In addition, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Service Act aims to accelerate research   improve early detection methods, and expand access to preventive services to address the rising rates of lung cancer.  Lastly, the Seniors' Access to Critical Medications Act, led by Representative Harshbarger and Washington Schultz, increases access to care by allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive their prescriptions either by mail or by having a family member or caregiver pick up the medication on their behalf.  All of these bills reflect our commitment to improving Americans' health   protecting the most vulnerable, and strengthening our health care system.  I'm grateful today to all of my colleagues who have supported this legislation.  Thank you for all your hard work, and I look forward to advancing these important bills out of committee.  I will now recognize the gentleman from New Jersey, Representative Pallone, the ranking member, for five minutes for an opening statement.  I yield back my time and recognize the chair.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  Today, committee Republicans are bringing up six health bills that we were supposed to mark up earlier this month.   Republicans continue to schedule committee markups as if these are normal times, but they're anything but normal.  The daily chaos and illegal activity that we're seeing from the Trump administration is not business as usual.  And yet committee Republicans are looking to move the Support Act today while the Trump administration is simultaneously dismantling the very agency that is responsible for supporting substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.   A few weeks ago, the Trump administration fired hundreds of staff across the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA.  The administration refuses to tell us exactly how many people were fired, but we know that key senior officials, including directors of the Center for Mental Health Services, the Center for Substance Use Prevention, and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, were reportedly terminated.   The administration is eliminating entire offices, including the offices responsible for collecting data on mental health and substance use and helping people locate treatment services.  By eliminating these offices, the administration is making it harder for people seeking treatment to find care.  And the Trump administration is also taking back essential funding that states rely on for mental health and substance use programs through block grants.  This committee has taken a lot of bipartisan action   over the last decade to combat the drug overdose crisis, but it's deeply disappointing to watch as Republicans silently stand by as the Trump administration slashes a billion dollars in mental health and substance use funding.  These dollars were already promised to states, and rescinding them arbitrarily will wreak havoc on their efforts to address the overdose crisis.   Now, some states will not be able to fill the funding gap.  Providers will go unpaid, and Americans will suffer.  And yet this does not seem to matter to the Trump administration or to congressional Republicans.  So let me be clear.  These funding decisions will have disastrous and deadly consequences on the millions of Americans impacted by substance use disorder.

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