Billy Wynne

Senate Democrats Inquire About Rumored TEFAP Cancellations 25 Democratic and Independent Senators, led by Ranking Member of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), sent a letter to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) inquiring about reports that previously approved funding in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) was cancelled.TEFAP provides assistance to food banks…

Paragon Institute Releases New Report Targeting Provider Taxes Amidst National Advocacy Pushback Against Medicaid Cuts Nationwide efforts in opposition to Medicaid cuts continue as Senators and Representatives return to Washington with three weeks of session planned before recessing again. While members continue to hear from concerned citizens and groups about potential cuts, Energy and Commerce…

Department Launches Deregulatory Task Force; Request Comments by May 26 on State and Federal Regulations that Pose Barriers to Competition in Health Care Markets The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched the Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force within its Antitrust Division to identify and advocate for the elimination of state and federal regulations that hinder free market…

Department Announces Major Reorganization and Reduction in Force of 20,000 Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans for a reduction in force (RIF) that it says will save $1.8 billion per year. The department is reducing its workforce by about 10,000 full-time employees, which totals 20,000 when combined with other efforts…

Trump Executive Order Mandates Full Access to Agency Data for Designated Officials to Eliminate Waste, Fraud, and Abuse President Donald Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14243 titled “Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos,” aimed at increasing government transparency and efficiency. The order seeks to eliminate barriers to data sharing across federal agencies…

Committee Advances Federal Reorganization Bill, Paves Way for Potential Agency Cuts The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform convened a full committee markup of nine bills aimed at expanding the power of the Trump Administration and authorizing the continuation of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) activities. Throughout the lengthy session, Democratic members pushed for amendments to strengthen…

Senate Finance Committee Advances Dr. Oz’s Nomination to the Senate Floor The Senate Finance Committee voted to advance Dr. Mehmet Oz as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sending his nomination to the full Senate for confirmation. The markup follows his confirmation hearing with the Committee on March 14th (Impact summary). Dr. Oz was approved…

Agency Delays Implementation of Nonprescription Drug Product with an Additional Condition for Nonprescription Use Rule for Further Review The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a further 60-day delay in the implementation of the final rule on “Nonprescription Drug Product With an Additional Condition for Nonprescription Use” (ACNU). Originally published on December 26, 2024, with…

DEA and HHS Again Delay Effective Date of Rules Establishing Policies for Prescribing Controlled Substances via Telemedicine to March 21, 2025 Today, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Biden Administration’s final rule, the Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter, will now take effect…

FDA Announces Transparency Tool for Chemical Contaminants in Food The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new Chemical Contaminants Transparency Tool database. The tool will provide a consolidated list of contaminant levels, tolerances, action levels, and guidance levels in human foods. These contaminants include a broad range of chemical substances that may be present in food due to the…