It’s been a chaotic week in health politics. The Senate Homeland Security Committee votes along party lines to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt, a move Rob and Miles call political theater with ugly historical echoes. The passage of the resolution clears the way for a criminal referral to the Justice Department, where Todd Blanche could be waiting for retribution.
We also dig into what healthcare affordability is doing to the Michigan and Wisconsin primaries, and why flipping Wisconsin’s state legislature could finally deliver Medicaid expansion, along with other healthcare victories, after 15 years of gridlock.
Elsewhere: the Senate confirms Erica Schwartz as CDC’s first permanent director in over a year despite her dodging questions on standing up to RFK Jr and Nebraska has fast-tracked their plan of kicking people off Medicaid under new work-reporting requirements.
Finally, in HHS updates, new polling shows independents souring hard on Kennedy’s handling of vaccines; and RFK Jr. has a widely-mocked, shouting meltdown in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash PLUS we dissect the debut of his new cooking show and float the idea of…. Liver Burgers?
LINKS
Wisconsin Examiner:Legislative primaries to watch in upcoming August electionsNOTUS:Wisconsin Democrats Doubt a Progressive’s Prospects After Michigan ResultsPBS Wisconsin:Wisconsin’s 2026 primary for governor hits the home stretchCIDRAP:Senate committee grills CDC director nominee Erica SchwartzInside Medicine:She blew it. CDC Director nominee tanks in Senate hearing.Clip of Sen. Maggie Hassan questioning Schwartz is
HERENBC News:New CDC director is confirmed, giving agency its first permanent leader in a yearNPR:In Nebraska, Americans begin to lose Medicaid under Trump’s work rulesNebraska Examiner:Health advocates raise alarms about Nebraska’s ‘rushed’ implementation of Medicaid work requirementsKFF Health News:Doctors ‘Cringe’ at Possibility of Documenting Which Medicaid Enrollees Too Sick To WorkWP Intelligence:Health Brief: Reaction to Medicaid work reporting requirementsHealthcare Dive:Judge rejects states’ bid to pause Medicaid work requirementsFierce HealthcareCourt rejects states’ bid to delay Medicaid work requirements rolloutRealClear Health:Independents Are Turning on RFK Jr. And His Party Should WorryTaxpayers Protection Alliance:
New Poll: Voters Reject Kennedy’s Vaccine Overhaul as Independents Sour on Public Health LeadershipFactCheck.org:RFK Jr.’s Falsehood-Filled CNN InterviewThe Hill:Kennedy to host cooking show with focus on inexpensive mealsMandatory:RFK Jr. Admits He Has No ‘Gag Reflex’ While Plugging New ShowThe Hill:RFK Jr. suggests buying liver or ‘cheap cuts’ instead of steak
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