LATTA’S E&C PITCH — Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), who’s vying to be the next chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, pitches himself as someone who won’t govern from the top down, Ben reports. “Everyone has their own style. I’m a firm believer of making sure all the committee members are in the process,” Latta told Ben. “No surprises. Everybody will know what’s going on and have their input, including subcommittees. Good ideas don’t just emanate from the top.” Latta, who chairs E&C’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee, is running against Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.). Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), who had weighed a bid for E&C chair, said Sunday he will seek another term as National Republican Congressional Committee chair instead. His agenda includes removing roadblocks to innovation in the U.S., bolstering transparency in the health care sector through the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act and bolstering domestic production of critical medical products. President-elect Donald Trump has pitched tariffs to boost domestic industry generally. Latta doesn’t necessarily think tariffs are the solution to onshoring, though, at least in the health care sector. “We’ve got a lot of our drugs being manufactured overseas. It’s important to bring them back. I’m not sure if it’s really a tariff issue,” Latta said. He also sees federal agencies like the FDA and the CDC as ripe for oversight. “We want these agencies and departments to be responsible and responsive to us,” Latta said. “There’s a lot of flawed messaging out there,” referring to a recent committee report on HHS’ Covid-19 messaging. Read more of Ben’s interview with Latta, including his thoughts on the Inflation Reduction Act’s future, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and more. DECISION TIME FOR SOCIAL MEDIA BILL — A Senate-backed bill to regulate social media that would help shield kids online faces divided chances in the House with Democrats and Republicans in disagreement over changes made to it, POLITICO’s Ruth Reader reports. How we got here: The Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), is meant to protect children from the mental health harms the apps are widely agreed to cause. It passed the Senate 91-3 in July. But the probability that Republicans will run the next Congress doesn’t bode well for enactment. What’s inside the bill: The Senate bill requires social media companies to protect children’s privacy and shield them from targeted advertising and manipulative algorithms. In September, however, the House Energy and Commerce Committee took up its version of the bill and made changes that advocates said weakened it. The Republican-led panel advanced it despite diverging concerns from Democrats and Republicans. Why it matters: Three years ago, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, told senators the company had internal data showing large percentages of teens using its photo-sharing app Instagram experienced negative self-perceptions, anxiety and depression. What’s next? Advocacy groups plan to enlist the bill’s backers in the Senate to pressure their House counterparts when Congress returns. If Congress doesn’t act this year, the bill’s advocates must reintroduce legislation. President-elect Donald Trump could help revive the legislation or end the discussion. He hasn’t said what he wants to do. FISCAL YEAR IN REVIEW — The federal budget deficit increased 8 percent, or $138 billion, in fiscal 2024 — with Medicare and Medicaid seeing increases. According to a review of fiscal 2024 by the Congressional Budget Office, Medicare outlays rose $78 billion, or 9 percent, because of higher enrollment and payment rates for services. Medicaid outlays also rose but on a smaller scale: $2 billion, or less than 1 percent, even as states revisited who was eligible for Medicaid. “Despite millions of disenrollments during the period in which states reassessed eligibility, Medicaid outlays rose in 2024 because per-person costs for enrollees remaining on Medicaid were greater in 2024 than they were in 2023,” the CBO said. What’s next? Congress must still pass a budget for next year by Dec. 20. Republican-backed proposals in the House include significant cuts to HHS, mainly focused on the CDC.
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