NE Washington News

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers expressed her disappointment with the proposed Health and Human Services budget for fiscal year 2025 during a recent hearing. Rodgers criticized the budget for prioritizing spending on health insurance companies rather than on initiatives to lower healthcare costs. She stated, "Instead, what we have before us today, is a budget request that proposes more than $1.8 trillion in spending for fiscal year 2025 with misplaced priorities throughout."

Rodgers also called out HHS Secretary Becerra for what she perceived as unresponsiveness towards critical healthcare issues. She mentioned, "If those are any indication, we will hear platitudes about lower drug prices, but nothing on what you have done to lower outrageous hospital bills and empower patients with the ability to know the price they will pay for care up front."

Furthermore, Rodgers highlighted a lack of transparency regarding sexual harassment at the NIH under Becerra's purview. She demanded accountability, stating, "You need to stop withholding critical information from this Committee, you need to stop protecting sexual abusers. The victims deserve full accountability and justice."

In closing, Rodgers raised concerns about inflation in healthcare and criticized the administration's lack of fiscal responsibility. She urged Secretary Becerra to address these issues, saying, "Your failure to propose a responsible fiscal policy shows again how little this administration cares about inflation and the impact it has on everyday Americans."

The hearing shed light on the ongoing challenges within the healthcare system and the need for effective solutions to address them.