The early days of the opening of the first session of the 117th Congress began in an unprecedented manner. As legislators in both chambers gathered to certify electoral votes cast in the 2020 election, a mob assaulted the U.S. Capitol on January 6, inflicting a major disruption of the proceedings. Once order was restored, officials were able to continue later that same evening to take action they had begun to perform earlier that day. Just as dramatically, almost immediately thereafter, voices emphatically called for removing President Trump from office at once for what was perceived as his role in inciting the building’s marauders. Steps rapidly were initiated that resulted in an effort to impeach him for the second time in only 13 months.
Prior to the start of the new session of Congress, its immediate predecessor 116th version was characterized by an agreement reached in late December 2020 to provide funding to prevent a federal government shutdown. President Trump signed into law the Consolidation Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260) on the 27th of that month to appropriate more than $1.4 trillion for fiscal year 2021, along with the inclusion of $900 billion for pandemic relief that involves funding for vaccine distribution and COVID-19 testing. This legislation cleared the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on a bipartisan basis one week beforehand. A 2,124-page bill, it covers an extensive range of programs, including many that pertain to the health sphere. Some examples of what the agreement provides are as follows:
$42,934,000,000 for the National Institutes of Health, including $404,000,000 from the 21st Century Cures Act (Public Law 114-255), an increase of $1,250,000,000, or 3%, above fiscal year 2020. The agreement provides a funding increase of no less than 1.5% above fiscal year 2020 to every Institute and Center (IC).
$7,874,804,000 in total program level funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which includes $6,963,296,000 in budget authority and $856,150,000 in transfers from the Prevention and Public Health (PPH) Fund.
$338,000,000 for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
$2,000,000 increase for a total of $43.3 million for Area Health Education Centers for new competitive grants to expand experiential learning opportunities through simulation labs designed to educate and train healthcare professionals serving rural, medically underserved communities, that shall include as an allowable use the purchase of simulation training equipment.
As the result of an election in Georgia on January 5, two Democrats won contests for the U.S. Senate, so that beginning on Inauguration Day, Vice President Kamala Harris will be able to exert a tie breaking vote in that chamber, which means that Democrats will be in control of both Congress and the White House. It can be expected that they will use this opportunity to fulfill their legislative objectives.
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