One of Congress’ most important tasks is approving annual funding to operate the federal government. This must be done every year before September 30. This year, we are seeing potential problems, related to politics on Capitol Hill, which may impact federal funding. The Senate Appropriations Committee has marked up all of their appropriations bills; however, none have come to the floor. The House Appropriations Committee is still marking up their bills and only one has passed the floor of the House. The fiscal year ends September 30, and without action by Congress, the government will shut down. 

One of the twelve appropriations bills that we watch closely is the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related services (L-HHS) funding bill. In late July, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up and approved the FY24 L-HHS bill which provides $47.8 billion—a $943 million increase in discretionary funding over fiscal year 2023—for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Senate bill provides targeted increases for critical programs, including a $100 million increase for mental health research, a $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research, a $60 million increase for cancer research, a $20 million increase for opioid research, and a $10 million increase for the IMPROVE initiative for research on maternal mortality. Additionally, the Emory-run National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) was allocated $28.5 million. The bill also includes $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). By contrast, the House L-HHS bill advances lower funding levels for all of these programs. 

The federal government is Emory’s largest external funder. The OGCA team monitors appropriations closely, and we highlight specific programs to emphasize the importance of regular and sustained federal funding. While we continue to advocate for federal funding bills that encompass the full fiscal year (as opposed to short-term Continuing Resolutions), we are concerned about the rising likelihood of a government shutdown in October.

Preparing for All Hazards and Pathogens Reauthorization Act Update (PAHPA)  

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee marked up the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) legislation on July 20. Prior to the markup, Senate HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) reached an agreement that the legislation, in addition to reauthorizing PAHPA, would include provisions aimed at preventing drug shortages. In a show of bipartisanship, the committee passed the bill by a vote of 17-3. After the August recess, House and Senate committee leadership will attempt to work out differences between their bills ahead of PAHPA’s September 30 expiration date. Emory is particularly interested in PAHPA because biomedical research, public health, and medical response programs are impacted by this legislation. The OGCA team continues to educate congressional staffers about the importance of this legislation. 

Site Neutral 

The House Ways and Means committee advanced both H.R. 4822, the Health Care Price Transparency Act of 2023, and H.R. 3284, the Providers and Payers COMPETE Act, on party-line votes. These bills were part of a larger package to promote price transparency among hospitals and health plans, and usher in site-neutral payment policies intended to bill patients the same amount for a service regardless of where it is performed. The House Ways and Means, Education and Workforce, and Energy and Commerce committees have passed different site neutral bills. The Senate has also introduced site neutral legislation. If passed, the site neutral legislation could negatively impact Emory Healthcare’s financials. The OGCA team is working, with our partners on Capitol Hill, to educate about service costs in different healthcare settings. 

Congressman Hank Johnson’s 2023 Grants Workshop Series 

Emory’s Associate Vice President for Research Kimberly Eck was one of several experts presenting at Congressman Hank Johnson’s recent 2023 Grants Workshop Series. The series was a four-part Zoom workshop that highlighted grant writing tips, showcased grant opportunities, and helped attendees understand the community project funding process. The most recent workshop had over 300 participants. Our appreciation to Kimberly for presenting on behalf of Emory. More information can be found here on Congressman Hank Johnson’s website.

On August 1, the House Study Committee on Certificate of Need (CON) Modernization met in Augusta, GA for its second meeting. This meeting was predominately dedicated to entities who advocated for either massive changes to, or a complete repeal of, CON law. Presenters included Chris Denson from the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, Jimmy Lewis from Hometown Health, Liz Coyle from Georgia Watch, and Katie Chubb from the Augusta Birth Center. Since this could have profound implications on EHC, the OGCA team is monitoring this Study Committee closely. The next meeting will be in Albany on September 12, and the State Affairs team will be in attendance. Watch the full Committee meeting here.  

Georgia Chamber of Conference Congressional Luncheon in the Classic City 

On August 8, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce hosted a congressional luncheon at the Classic Center in Athens, GA. Emory hosted a table and invited our federal and state legislators and staffers to join us. We heard from Senator Jon Ossoff, Governor Brian Kemp, Representative Rick Allen, and Representative Rich McCormick. They discussed the work that is occurring to better the economic success of Georgia.

On August 9, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2nd Annual City Summit event. During the event, we heard from DeKalb’s city leaders, who provided their perspectives about workforce development, small business, and transportation. Jay Gipson, managing partner of the Gipson Company and developer of the Assembly in Doraville was the keynote speaker. Kendra Price, Associate Director of Community Programs, introduced Mr. Gipson and provided remarks on behalf of the Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee, of which she serves as co-chair.

DeKalb County Back to School Drive 

On August 5, DeKalb County teamed up with local faith leaders and other partners to distribute school supplies and boxes of food. To educate and inform attendees about Medicaid Redeterminations, OGCA worked with Emory Healthcare to add flyers to the 5,000 food boxes and backpacks that were distributed throughout the county.  

On August 1, Emory Healthcare leadership was present to honor board member, Mr. Greg Levett. The National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association presented him with the Robert H. Miller Professional of the Year award, the highest recognition in the profession. We are proud of Mr. Levett and appreciative of his service to EHC and the community.

The OGCA team works with a variety of community stakeholders. The following links are good examples of our School of Nursing working with OGCA to meet a community need. Please reach out to our team as your school or department looks to connect with community partners. 

Fall 2023 Emory School of Nursing Career Expo 

September 5, 2023 / 11am-1:30pm / In-person 

Fall 2023 Emory School of Nursing Virtual Career Fair 

September 6, 2023 / 11am-1pm / virtual