Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Incoming CDC Director Says There Are 'Dark Weeks Ahead'
The incoming Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director said Sunday that she expects the U.S. will reach 500,000 COVID-19 deaths by mid-February. Rochelle Walensky, President-elect Joe Biden鈥檚 named CDC director, told CBS News鈥 鈥淔ace The Nation鈥 that she 鈥渦nfortunately鈥 agrees with outgoing CDC Director Robert Redfield that the pandemic is going to get worse. (Coleman, 1/17)
The government鈥檚 sweeping health-care agency will lack a permanent secretary tomorrow when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in. His pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, is waiting along with other Biden nominees on confirmation from a slow-moving Senate. But no such obstacle exists for Rochelle Walensky, incoming chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.聽Because the position of CDC director doesn鈥檛 require Senate confirmation, Walensky will be able to immediately take the reins at the nation鈥檚 public health agency at a critical moment. (Cunningham and Ellerbeck, 1/19)
In other news about the incoming Biden administration 鈥
President-elect Biden on Thursday nominated Broad Institute president Eric Lander to serve as his science adviser and the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, along with a slate of other top science adviser nominations. Biden also announced that he will elevate his science adviser to a Cabinet-level post, marking the first time in history that the OSTP head has served alongside the heads of federal agencies. (Facher and Joseph, 1/15)
Janet Yellen, President-elect Joe Biden鈥檚 choice for Treasury secretary, plans to tell lawmakers that the U.S. risks a longer, more painful recession unless Congress聽approves more aid and urge聽them to 鈥渁ct big鈥 to shore up the recovery. Ms. Yellen is set to testify Tuesday before the Senate Finance Committee, which is considering her nomination, according to a copy of her prepared remarks that was viewed聽by The Wall Street Journal. (Davidson, 1/18)
As the Biden administration begins setting priorities, the Federal Trade Commission is poised to take a tougher stand on some pharmaceutical industry practices, given the potential for anti-competitive behavior to influence prescription drug prices. (Silverman, 1/19)
