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The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced a half-dozen public health-related bills Wednesday. The six bills were approved unanimously by the committee on voice votes, and covered a range of topics from mental health first aid to classifying some synthetic drugs. In the Senate, similar bills are working their way through the committee process. (McIntire, 9/21)

Democrats believe they have finally found the leverage they need to force Republicans to approve funding to address the water crisis in Flint, Mich.: historic flooding in Louisiana. Democrats are pushing for a Senate-passed aid package for Flint to be linked to flood relief funds in a stop-gap spending bill that would prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month. Republicans say they want to give the House more time to consider passing funding for Flint, but Democrats have refused to sign off on the spending bill until the issue is resolved. (Snell, 9/21)

Federal prosecutors should investigate whether a former Veterans Affairs Department executive committed perjury when he testified about the cost of a new Denver-area VA hospital, which is more than $1 billion over budget, members of Congress said. Florida Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., said Wednesday the Justice Department should investigate Glenn Haggstrom’s statements to Congress in 2013 and 2014. (Elliott, 9/22)

A U.S. congressional committee has launched an examination of the Food and Drug Administration's criminal office, raising questions about the unit’s management and handling of cases involving food, drugs and devices. The House Energy and Commerce Committee told FDA Commissioner Robert Califf it is "examining management concerns" and "possible morale concerns with the field offices" of the Office of Criminal Investigations. (Greene, 9/21)