Week ending: July 31, 2019
By: Sable K. Nelson
Senate to Vote on Budget Deal Ahead of August Recess
Before the Senate adjourns for its August recess, it will vote on a Trump-backed budget deal cut between the White House and Democratic congressional leaders. Ahead of the vote, some Republicans said they weren’t entirely happy with the bill, which would raise spending by $324 billion and would also suspend the debt ceiling until July 2021, eliminating the prospect of an ugly battle before the 2020 election. For more information, READ.
The budget deal allows for the budget process to continue in due course:
FDA Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting Announcement
On August 7, 2019, the Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee will discuss supplemental new drug application (sNDA) 208215, supplement 12, DESCOVY (emtricitabine 200 milligrams (mg) and tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg tablets), submitted by Gilead Sciences, Inc., proposed for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection among individuals who are HIV-negative and at risk for HIV. Individuals may attend in-person from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the FDA White Oak Campus (10903 New Hampshire Avenue Building 31 Conference Center The Great Room (Rm. 1503) Silver Spring, Maryland 20993 OR via webcast. For more information, READ.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Cue The Drug Price Debate
Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee unveiled their long-awaited proposal to try to rein in prescription drug costs, even as bipartisan leaders of the other Senate committee that oversees health announced it would not bring its drug price bill to the Senate floor until fall. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus court actions on health issues. For more information, LISTEN.
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What You Can Do
TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal funding for HIV prevention and care. Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet with your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will? Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.
- Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
- Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
What NMAC is Doing About It
- NMAC remains vigilant in its advocacy to protect FY20 government funding and the existence of the social safety net.
- NMAC is working in coalition to defend the right of people living with HIV to serve in the US military.