In This Issue:

- House E&C Proceeds with Cures Initiative this Week

- Congress Continues Budget Considerations; Health Care Playing Leading Role

- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

- Other Federal Regulatory Initiatives

- Congressional Initiatives

- Other Health Care News

- Upcoming Congressional Hearings

- Excerpt from House E&C Proceeds with Cures Initiative this Week:

At the end of last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced it will release in the coming days a new draft version of the 21st Century Cures Initiative legislation. As part of the unveiling, the Committee said it will hold a hearing on April 30th to hear testimony from National Institute of Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials on the draft proposal. Dr. Kathy Hudson, Deputy Director for Science, Outreach, and Policy at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration, and Dr. Jeff Shuren, Director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the FDA, will testify.

Speaking earlier in the week, Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO), who is working closely with Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) on the initiative, said that the Committee and staff have been working closely with the FDA on various aspects of the legislation, including over democratic and industry concerns over certain clinical trial language. Chairman Upton has praised the initiative and has said he hopes to have legislation on the House floor by June.