This week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee continued debating America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200). The committee began marking up the measure on July 16 and was expected to conclude its work on July 23, but a series of meetings were postponed. Last week, the House Education and Labor and Ways and Means Committees approved their versions of the measure (see The Source, 7/17/09). The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved its version of health care reform on July 15 (see The Source, 7/17/09).
On July 20, the committee adopted the following amendments:
a package of en bloc amendments by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) that would, among other provisions, reauthorize the WISEWOMAN [Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation] program at $70 million in FY2010, $73.5 million in FY2011, $77 million in FY2012, $81 million in FY2013, and $85 million in FY2014, by voice vote. The amendment also encourages the secretary of Health and Human Services to expand research on post-partum depression.
an amendment by Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) and Del. Donna M.C. Christensen (D-VI) that would authorize $30 million per year for FY2010-2014 for grants to eligible entities to promote positive health behaviors for populations in medically underserved communities, including home visitation services for maternal health and prenatal care, 36-23; and
an amendment by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) that would require the secretary of Health and Human Services to create a program to provide grants to states with “evidence-based” sexual education programs, 33-23. The grant program would be authorized at $50 million annually for FY2010-2014.
The same day, the committee defeated, 26-29, an amendment by Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) to reauthorize the Transitional Medical Assistance and Abstinence Education Program (P.L. 110-90) through FY2012, 26-29.