ADVOCACY SPOTLIGHT
Working With Congress as an ASC House and Senate committees wield significant power BY KRISTIN MURPHY
early all legislation eventually approved by Congress is first considered in one or more of the many standing committees that exist in the House and Senate today. Several com- mittees typically have jurisdiction over proposals that affect health care, Medi- care and other issues essential to ASCs. The committee chairs and ranking members named below are current as of press time.
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House Ways and Means Committee The Committee on Ways and Means is one of the most influential committees in the US House of Representatives. It is responsible for all bills raising rev- enue through the federal government, including tax policy, health policy, trade and more. This committee has considered a variety of legislation that directly impacts ASCs, including the Electronic Health Fairness Act and the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act. The current chairman of the Ways and Means Committee is Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), and the ranking mem- ber is Sander Levin (D-MI).
House Committee on Energy and Commerce The House Energy and Commerce Committee is primarily responsi- ble for legislation that involves non- tax issues that often overlap with the Ways and Means Committee. The committee also provides legis- lative oversight on issues relating to the US Food and Drug Administra- tion (FDA)—including drug approv- als, compounding pharmacies, and shortages—oversight of the US Department Health and Human Ser- vices, and a variety of non-health care-related issues including inter- state and foreign trade. The commit-
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Senate to vote on this key legislation for ASCs. The Senate Finance Com- mittee also has jurisdiction over the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act. The chairman for this committee is Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and the ranking member is Ron Wyden (D-OR). In particular, Wyden has been a staunch advocate for ASCs and has been the sponsor of the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act in previous Congresses.
Recognizing the role these committees play in health policy and engaging their members is crucial to protecting access to the high-quality, cost-efficient care that ASCs provide.”
—Kristin Murphy, ASCA
tee also is responsible for the Ambu- latory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act. The chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee is Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) and the ranking member is Congressman Frank Pal- lone (D-NJ).
Senate Finance Committee The Senate Finance Committee is similar to the House Ways and Means Committee in its jurisdiction. The committee is responsible for tax, trade and health issues, including Medicare and electronic health records. This committee recently evaluated and passed the Electronic Health Fairness Act, which paved the way for the full
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee The HELP Committee covers a num- ber of health care-related issues, including the FDA (particularly around drug approvals, shortages and compounding pharmacies), elec- tronic health records and health care innovation. Most notably, the HELP Committee drafted the Drug Qual- ity and Security Act (DQSA), which enhances FDA oversight of com- pounding pharmacies. The chairman for this committee is Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and the ranking member is Patty Murray (D-WA). Recognizing the role these commit-
tees play in health policy and engag- ing their members is crucial to pro- tecting access to the high-quality, cost-efficient care that ASCs provide. These elected officials are recognized by their peers as policy leaders in their issue areas and have the ability to advocate for legislation, persuade their colleagues to vote for or against cer- tain legislation and influence federal agencies to take action.
Kristin Murphy is ASCA’s assistant director of legislative affairs. Write her at kmurphy@
ascassociation.org.
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