Here’s a quick update on what happened in Congress overnight, and what BIO says about it.
First, the Senate passed the infrastructure package. The $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) passed in a bipartisan vote of 69-30, with every Democrat and 19 Republicans voting for it.
If you want to dive deeper, here’s…
Then, overnight, the Senate narrowly approved the $3.5 trillion budget resolution for FY22, “setting the stage in the weeks and months to come for the party to craft and attempt to pass a sweeping economic package expanding the social safety net that President Joe Biden has made a signature agenda item without the threat of a filibuster from Republicans who oppose it,” reports CNN.
The budget focuses on four key buckets: families, climate, health care, and infrastructure/jobs—here’s what’s in it.
The House plans to return from recess early to consider the budget resolution... “However, Democrats have a slim majority in the House, and Pelosi may face resistance from progressive members, who want both measures to pass in tandem with a number of Democratic priorities included, and moderate members of the caucus concerned about the price tag of the budget reconciliation package,” reports NBC.
The budget reconciliation is likely to have a massive drug pricing package with drug price controls—Axios Health had more on that yesterday. This will be a major priority for BIO in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Dr. Michelle’s Diagnosis: It is encouraging to see the Senate work in a bipartisan fashion. Improving our nation’s infrastructure is critical to growing our nation’s bioeconomy and improving climate resiliency. The development and deployment of biotechnology will allow the agriculture, energy, and manufacturing sectors to adapt and be part of the solution to climate change. However, Congress needs to make sure these efforts don’t come at the expense of the life-saving research. If we are to truly establish a resilient economy, and maintain America’s leadership on the global innovation stage, we must find a way to fund our nation’s much-needed investment in 21st-century infrastructure without sacrificing new cures. – BIO President and CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath
A few more good reads you might have missed…
The pandemic is harming public health—beyond the virus, says former CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding, EVP and Chief Patient Officer at Merck (and BIO Board member). She spoke to the Philadelphia Inquirer about the importance of return to care and preparing for the next pandemic.
The pandemic has highlighted the need for women scientists, says Sulagna Bhattacharya, CEO of Nanoscope Therapeutics. Read her recent blog post explaining why—and how we can boost women in STEM.
Gene editing will change our lives forever—and in ways you might not expect. During a recent webinar for Innovature, three leading players in genomics broke down the evolution of gene editing and what’s next—read the recap.
