G2G Bio Bulletin – July 6, 2026
Updates from Washington
Congress: Both chambers are in a two-week recess.
- National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): Last Tuesday, the House failed to clear a procedural vote (198-224) to advance its version of the NDAA. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) incorporated the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, into the measure. However, this was insufficient to win over the support of fourteen conservative Republicans, who joined all all Democrats in voting it down. Additionally, a set of biotechnology-focused amendments to the NDAA, endorsed by the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) were ruled as not germane to the bill, and were not included in the vote. Next, steps for the core bill and the amendments remains unclear.
- Other Legislation, Hearings, Initiatives & Congressional Highlights :
- Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act: The House unanimously passed this legislation to ease reporting mandates and expand flexibility for reporting methods for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that partner with Medicare.
- Tax Exempt Hospital Transparency Act: The House Ways & Means Committee by a party line vote advanced this Republican bill requiring hospitals receiving tax exemptions to follow more rigorous reporting requirements to affirm community and charitable benefit. Hospitals and their associations are staunchly opposed to the measure.
- On Wednesday, the House Veterans Affairs Committee’s Health Subcommittee convened to consider several bills, including measures focused on the neurological and mental health impacts of aviation service, care for veterans with spinal cord injuries, and coordination of care between the VA and HHS.
- On Thursday, the House Education & Workforce Committee’s Health Subcommittee convened to consider models allowing employers to directly contract with healthcare providers to lower costs in providing healthcare benefits to employees.
- Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) who was absent from votes for over 100 days due to a depression diagnosis, has introduced legislation to bolster mental health parity in employer sponsored insurance plans.
- Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) a 30-year incumbent and the second highest ranking Democrat on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, lost her primary last Tuesday. She was seen as the favorite to lead the Health Subcommittee in the next Congress, if control of the House flips. She notably co-led the 21st Century Cures Act.
Administration & Agencies:
- FDA:
- Last Monday, the agency announced the first companies selected to participate in the PreCheck Pilot Program, whose aim is to expand domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, increase production capacity, and strengthen U.S. drug supply chain resilience.
- The agency’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC) will convene on July 23-24, to issue a decision on if certain peptides can be classified as safe for inclusion in compounded treatments. Concerns have been raised over the inclusion of industry stakeholders onto PCAC, who may overrule decisions of career staff.
- Dr. Vijay Kumar, the head of the Office of Therapeutic Products at CBER will be leaving his position.
- CMS:
- Last Wednesday, the agency commenced the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge pilot that will allow beneficiaries to access anti-obesity medications at a cost of $50 per month, through 2027.
- The agency has issued a proposed rule that would significantly reduce payments to hospitals that purchase discounted drugs under the 340B program starting in 2027. The proposed rate would be average sales price minus 33.4%. The rule also would increase payments to outpatient service providers and ambulatory surgical centers. Comments on the proposal are due August 31.
- White House, Other HHS Divisions & Departments:
- Biosecurity & Pandemic Preparedness: Amid the Ebola outbreak and other public health crises, the White House has appointed Dr. Sara Brenner to lead the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response, having left the position unfilled since last January. Dr. Brenner was most recently Principal Deputy Commissioner at FDA. Dr. Rachel Idowu was appointed to lead the bio-response portfolio at the National Security Council (NSC). In addition to prior service at NSC and CDC, she was involved in the response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak and supported public health infrastructure development in Africa.
- Deregulation: The Administration has released its plan to eliminate over 700 administrative rules across the federal government. This is a record number, and the Administration has indicated that this action would net $1.5 trillion in savings.
Reminder: Don’t miss the monthly GBG Report call every third Thursday of the month at 12 pm ET where the team discusses the latest federal life sciences funding opportunities. G2G has raised $612M and is eager to share our expertise to help companies grow and accelerate bringing innovations to patients.