Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senators Optimistic About Bipartisan Mental Health Bill Deal
Senators say they are optimistic that a bipartisan mental health reform bill can reach the Senate floor and pass soon, though they are still working out differences over guns and finances. Multiple senators said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has told them that he is willing to put the bill from Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on the floor but that a consensus has to be built ahead of time so that consideration does not take up too much valuable floor time. (Sullivan, 5/26)
Sen. Chris Murphy and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have bipartisan support for a bill that would reform the nation鈥檚 mental health system and are pressing for Senate action on the legislation. (Radelat, 5/26)
Vice President Biden on Thursday hinted that key GOP leaders are willing to support his billion-dollar request for cancer research funding this year. Biden declared Thursday 鈥渢here鈥檚 total bipartisan support鈥 on Capitol Hill for his ambitious moonshot campaign to accelerate cures for cancer. (Ferris, 5/26)
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the ranking member of the congressional committee that oversees the Red Cross, sent a three-page letter to the charity鈥檚 CEO on Monday demanding that she explain why the Red Cross struggled to respond to record flooding in Mississippi this spring. Thompson pressed Red Cross CEO Gail McGovern for details on the impact of its staffing cuts and how it plans to coordinate better with state emergency managers. (Smith, 5/26)