Bioscience Bulletin – Nov 21, 2025

Congress:

• FY 2026 Appropriations: Leaders of the Appropriations Committees met to discuss next steps to advance the nine pending funding bills ahead of the January 30 deadline, when the continuing resolution (CR) expires. After Thanksgiving, the Senate will work on a package of five bills including those funding the Department of Defense (DoD) and most Health & Human Services (HHS) programs. However, there is no guarantee that this ‘minibus’ will advance in its current form.

• Committee Hearings Overview:
  • Senate Aging - Restoring Trust in our Medicines:
    • Focused on domestic manufacturing of generic medicines and featured testimony from leaders of companies in this space. Policy discussed include: labeling of drugs and APIs of foreign origin in the supply chain, using the government’s purchasing power to prioritize American industry, and regulations impeding domestic manufacturing
  • Senate Finance - Rising Cost of Health Care:
    • The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the primary topic of discussion, due to the lapse of enhanced subsides, and impending premium rises. Committee Democrats reiterated their advocacy for subsidy extensions, while Republicans strongly opposed this, arguing in favor of proposals such expanding use of and access to HSA accounts.
  • House Ways & Means, Health - Managing Care Coordination for Chronic Disease:
    • Focused on the need to better streamline care for people living with chronic disease between pharmacists and telehealth providers via remote monitoring, particularly for those living in rural areas. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) were cited as models to meet this need. Discussion of making pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities permanent was also revisited.
• New Legislation:
  • The Biomanufacturing Center of Excellence Act: This bipartisan, bicameral bill implements a NSCEB report recommendation, to establish a National Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Center of Excellence (COE). This public private partnership (PPP), will be set up under a competitive process overseen by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It will focus on advancing biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes and systems, particularly for products critical to American national, economic and health security.
• Next Steps on ACA: No consensus has been reached on how to address expiring tax credits. President Trump expressed preference for a party-line bill, but key committee chairs and Republicans representing areas with high use of ACA plans, have endorsed an array of other policies.
• Drug Supply: The Congressionally chartered US-China Economic and Security Review Commission issued its annual report, which further sounds the alarm on China's dominance in the production of APIs  used in generics consumed in the US, as well as its increasing strengths in synthetic biology and licensing experimental medicines to American companies.