House and Senate Committees Responsible for Health Care Policy Will See Big Changes
By Grace Kranstover, Senior Policy Associate
With the upcoming November elections, there will be changes in the makeup of 119th Congress. Between retirements, members running for different elected offices, potential election losses, and Republican rules that term-limit committee leaders, House and Senate committees will have new leadership and will lose long-serving members.
Here is a look at how some of these changes may impact committees focused on health policy and funding:
House of Representatives:
Energy & Commerce Committee
With Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) not seeking reelection, Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Bob Latta (R-OH) will likely compete for the top Republican spot. Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), who has previously served as Chairman, will remain the top Democrat. The Health Subcommittee will undergo big changes with the retirements of Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Reps. Ann Kuster (D-NH), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), and John Sarbanes (D-MD), while Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) is running for the Senate. On the Republican side, Reps. Mike Burgess (R-TX) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN), physicians who have also led the GOP Doctors Caucus, are also retiring, as is Rep. Greg Pence (R-IN).
Ways & Means Committee
Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) and Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) are both likely to retain their leadership of the Committee, however several members are set to depart due to retirements. This includes Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), both of whom are members of the Health Subcommittee. Other notable departures include Reps. Drew Ferguson (R-GA) and Dan Kildee (D-MI).
Appropriations Committee
Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Tom Cole (R-OK) are expected to continue to occupy the top spots, with DeLauro and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) at the top of the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee. While several appropriators will retire or are fighting tough re-election races, the only LHHS member in this group is the retiring Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA).
Each of the above committees is considered an exclusive “A” Committee, and more junior members will compete to win a spot. Each party’s steering committee, made up of leadership appointees and regional representatives, will decide on committee assignments, with those decisions ratified by the full Democratic caucus or Republican conference. If Democrats win control of the House, they will have many more openings to fill, as the party ratios flip on each committee.
Senate:
Health, Education Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee
HELP is unlikely to see much change. Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) will likely continue as the top Democrat and Republican. Should the Senate majority flip and Senator Cassidy take the gavel, he has previewed several of his priorities through RFIs focused on AI in health care, modernizing the National Institutes of Health, and more. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) is retiring, and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is in a moderately close race for re-election.
Finance Committee
Changes on the Finance Committee already started with the abrupt resignation of Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and more turnover will occur when other members will leave office this year. This includes Health Subcommittee Chair Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Tom Carper (D-DE) who are also members of the Health Subcommittee. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is in a hotly contested race for re-election in red Ohio. While Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) will likely retain their leadership roles on the committee, expect to see new faces on the Finance Committee next year.
Appropriations Committee
Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) will likely continue to lead Appropriations, even as Murray also serves as the President Pro Tempore of the chamber. Neither of the Senate’s Independent Senators who serve on Appropriations, Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), is running for re-election. Defense Chair Jon Tester (MT) and LHHS Chair Tammy Baldwin (WI) are locked in tight re-election races, and a recent poll shows Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) narrowly ahead of an unexpectedly strong independent challenger.
When the 119th Congress begins, the Senate Democratic and Republican conferences will appoint a “committee on committees” to make assignments, considering seniority, expertise, and relevance to a Senator’s state.
The potential of either or both the House and Senate flipping majority control, combined with the departure of veteran legislators, could have a massive impact on health policy and funding. While this game of musical chairs can cause challenges, it can also present opportunities to develop new legislative champions and allies that will help move priorities forward. CRD Associates will ensure clients are prepared for any changes that result.