G2G Bio Bulletin – September 20, 2026

Executive Order 14292 which restricted federal funding of gain of function and other high-risk life sciences research. Republicans on the subcommittee were broadly in favor of it, while Ranking Member Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-OH) criticized it as being too broad.

Biotechnology Standards: Rep. April McLain Delaney highlighted her bill the SCALE Biology Act that would establish a biometrology program at NIST. Multiple members expressed the need for U.S. leadership in standards development.

Workforce Development: Chair Rich McCormick (R-GA) highlighted his bill, the Biotechnology Workforce Alignment Act, that would direct NSF to support job training pathways in high-demand fields and Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) highlighted his bill, the Keep STEM Talent Act that would provide international students pursuing STEM graduate degrees with a direct path to permanent residency.

The House China Committee convened a hearing entitled Import Controls: Tools to Counter the CCP's Industrial Policy and Supply Chain Threats. The hearing was broad in scope and reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive U.S. industrial policy, secure supply chains, cooperation with allied nations and reduced dependency on Chinese imports.

The Senate Aging Committee on Wednesday convened a hearing entitled: Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America. The hearing focused on the lack of federal investment in studying menopause, under treatment, barriers to treatment, the need for improved provider training, and relevant legislative proposals to remedy these situations.

Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and LHHS Subcommittee Ranking Member Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) have written to HHS Secretary Kennedy demanding answers on how research funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is being utilized, amid concerns that appropriated funds will not be spent by the end of the fiscal year and/or re-allocated to other agencies.

The White House is reportedly drafting an executive order that would stand up a new external committee that would have the ability to terminate NIH awards. This comes after a meeting at the White House on Friday, where OMB Director Russell Vought accused the NIH Director, Jay Bhattacharya, of failing to comprehensively cut funding to researchers and institutions misaligned with Administration priorities. Vought is the driving force behind the proposed OMB rule that if implemented would entirely overhaul federal grant-making. Bhattacharya reportedly defended his stewardship of NIH funds, federal support for biomedical research, and resisted taking specific punitive actions against Harvard University.

A coalition of researchers have filed a lawsuit against the NIH, challenging on administrative and free speech grounds, the cuts and terminations of grants deemed to be misaligned with Administration priorities,

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by two family planning groups challenging the Trump Administration’s changes Title X grant eligibility. Other lawsuits in this space are still ongoing.

The Administration has announced that all 50 state Medicaid programs would be able to access most-favored-nation (MFN) pricing for hundreds drugs, yet to be specified, through its deals with drug companies and under the auspices of the CMS GENEROUS Innovation Model that launched in January. The Administration has touted that the effort would generate $63.4B in savings. However, external analyses suggest that savings will be substantially lower, as state Medicaid programs may already pay for drugs at below MFN prices, and have discretion over which drugs they include under their GENEROUS schemes.

On Friday, Public Citizen released partly redacted copies of drug pricing deals the Administration signed with Pfizer and Eli Lilly. Notably, Pfizer’s deal has provisions by which the company will share revenues with HHS that emanate from increased prices it may charge for its products outside the U.S. The agreements have limited information on the companies’ participation in the GENEROUS Model, and do not mention exemptions, if any, the companies receive from participating in other CMS drug pricing schemes like GLOBE and GUARD.

Announced eight new appointments to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), some of whom are notably aligned with Administration positions and over half of whom are specialist physicians rather than generalists. The panel which is tasked with providing evidence based recommendations on clinical preventative services, has not met since March 2025.

Spoke this past week at a Children’s Health Defense event, re-affirming his vaccine skepticism and relevant HHS initiatives.

Has come under scrutiny for his travel expenses and planned activities at the MAHA Summit on September 29, funded by individual and corporate donors.