House passes bill to expand health benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits

 The House on Thursday passed legislation that would expand access to health care for veterans exposed to toxins, such as chemicals emanating from burn pits, during their military service. 

Lawmakers passed the bill largely along party lines, 256-174. Thirty-four Republicans joined Democrats in support.  

Passage of the bill came two days after President Biden announced during his State of the Union address that the Department of Veterans Affairs will add nine respiratory cancers to its list of service-connected disabilities to expand benefits eligibility for affected veterans.

The bill passed in the House would expand VA health care eligibility for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits by establishing a presumption of service connection for about two dozen types of respiratory illnesses — like chronic bronchitis and asthma — and cancers. 

It's estimated that about 3.5 million U.S. service members have been exposed to burn pits, according to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonprofit veterans organization. A survey from the nonprofit found that 86 percent of its members reported exposure to burn pits or other toxics, with 89 percent reporting symptoms that might have been caused by that exposure.   

“When we sent our service members into harm’s way, we made a pact to care for them when they came home. But for too long, Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs have been slow to accept responsibility and cost of that care, citing high costs or lack of absolute, scientific proof of illness connections to service,” said House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.). “The result is a disability claims process that is cumbersome and one that places the burden of proof for toxic exposure on veterans themselves.” 

“When our country goes to war, we don’t nickel and dime the Department of Defense. And we shouldn’t try to pinch pennies when it comes to covering the care for toxic-exposed veterans,” Takano said.  

Biden said during his State of the Union address that his late son, Beau Biden, may have developed his brain cancer from exposure to a burn pit while serving in Iraq.  

Such burn pits were often used at military sites in Iraq and Afghanistan to incinerate garbage like human waste, munitions, plastics, jet fuel and paint. 

“They came home, many of the world’s fittest and best trained warriors in the world, never the same,” Biden said. “Headaches. Numbness. Dizziness. A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin.”  

That was the part of his address interrupted by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who in a breach of decorum yelled out that Biden put service members in coffins, referencing the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer. 

Republicans argued the legislation could exacerbate VA backlogs and would add too much to the deficit, given its nearly $300 billion price tag over a decade. 

“We are not doing right by our veterans by being fiscally irresponsible in their name. And I say that as a veteran myself,” said Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee who previously served in the Army. 

Republicans further pointed to the Senate passage of a similar but narrower bill last month to expand post-9/11 combat veterans’ window of eligibility for health benefits from five to 10 years after discharge from military service, arguing that the House should just clear that measure and send it to Biden’s desk. 

“Every day that the House fails to send it to the president is another day that a sick veteran doesn’t get the care they need,” said Rep. Mike Bost (Ill.), the top Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. 

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced more comprehensive legislation similar to what passed in the House on Thursday that would create new presumptions of service connection for veterans exposed to toxins and boost federal research into toxic exposures. 

It’s expected that the House and Senate will ultimately reconcile those measures and send a combined package for Biden’s signature. 

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/596710-house-passes-bill-to-expand-health-benefits-for-veterans-exposed-to-toxic

Surgeon general demands data on COVID-19 misinformation from major tech firms

 U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has reportedly asked Big Tech companies to hand over data regarding COVID-19 misinformation, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

In a formal notice, Murthy requested major tech platforms submit information about the prevalence and scale of COVID-19 misinformation on their sites, from social networks, search engines, crowdsourced platforms, e-commerce platforms and instant messaging systems.

The Surgeon general last summer issued an advisory calling health misinformation an "urgent threat," and urging tech and social media platforms to redesign algorithms to reduce misinformation amplification and to bolster their monitoring of it.

“It can cause confusion, sow distrust, and undermine public health efforts, including our ongoing work to end the COVID-19 pandemic," Murthy said in a statement in July.

During the pandemic, COVID-19 misinformation has spread rapidly amid contentious debates over masks, vaccinations and basic public health data, including the number of deaths reported by states or federal governments.

Misinformation about vaccinations took center stage earlier this year when Neil Young said he would pull his music off the music platform Spotify in protest over podcast host Joe Rogan, who had interviewed guests questioning the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

President Biden on Wednesday unveiled a new pandemic roadmap. Part of that plan will "equip Americans with tools to identify misinformation and to invest in longer-term efforts to build resilience against health misinformation."

In his notice to major tech platforms, Murthy is requesting specific information on demographics affected by misinformation as well as sources of misinformation and “exactly how many users saw or may have been exposed to instances of Covid-19 misinformation,” according to the notice reviewed by The Times.

“Technology companies now have the opportunity to be open and transparent with the American people about the misinformation on their platforms,” Murthy said in a statement. “This is about protecting the nation’s health.”

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/596709-surgeon-general-demands-data-on-covid-19-misinformation-from-major-tech

HHS head calls Texas order to treat gender-affirming care as child abuse 'unconscionable'

 

• The Department of Health and Human Services in new guidance specifies that child welfare agencies are responsible for making critical gender-affirming care available to transgender youth despite state efforts to restrict it.
• HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday called Texas Gov. Abbott’s (R) recent order for state agencies to investigate gender-affirming health care as child abuse “discriminatory and unconscionable.”
• HHS on Wednesday also released new guidance on patient privacy and said it is illegal to deny care to an individual based on their gender identity.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in guidance released Wednesday specified that child welfare agencies have a responsibility to protect transgender youth by making gender-affirming care readily available and accessible.

LGBTQ+ youth, particularly trans youth, are often unable to access “necessary and affirming medical care” as a result of “intentionally erected systemic barriers,” the department said in a memo.

“These include policies that discourage, penalize, or otherwise impede providing such care and policies that falsely seek to characterize gender-affirming care, both of which present a severe risk of creating further barriers to access to such care,” reads a portion of the guidance.

In a statement, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said a recent order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for state agencies to investigate gender-affirming health care as child abuse was unethical.

“The Texas government’s attacks against transgender youth and those who love and care for them are discriminatory and unconscionable. These actions are clearly dangerous to the health of transgender youth in Texas,” he said.

The governor’s order late last month came shortly after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) authored an opinion in which he said some types of gender-affirming treatment amounted to “abuse” under his interpretation of Texas law.

Abbott and Paxton’s views have already been condemned by the White House, and a Texas judge this week partially blocked state government efforts to investigate families of transgender minors following a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Texas and Lambda Legal.

Several district attorneys in Texas have also said they will not prosecute the families of trans youth.

Becerra on Wednesday said his department will take “immediate action if needed” to support transgender youth and their families in Texas.

“HHS is closely monitoring the situation in Texas, and will use every tool at our disposal to keep Texans safe,” he said. “Any individual or family in Texas who is being targeted by a child welfare investigation because of this discriminatory gubernatorial order is encouraged to contact our Office for Civil Rights to report their experience.”

“At HHS, we listen to medical experts and doctors, and they agree with us, that access to affirming care for transgender youth is essential and can be life-saving,” he added.

Gender-affirming healthcare, including including hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgeries, has been shown to reduce the risk of depression and suicide among transgender adolescents – who already face elevated rates of mental health issues and self-harm.

The HHS on Wednesday also released guidance on patient privacy, clarifying that health care providers are not required to disclose private patient information related to gender-affirming care. A third guidance issued by the department Wednesday specifies that it is illegal to deny medical care based on an individual’s gender identity.

In a statement released Wednesday by the White House, President Joe Biden called Abbott’s order “government overreach at its worst” and accused the governor of launching an attack on transgender youth and their families “just to score political points.”

“Children, their parents, and their doctors should have the freedom to make the medical decisions that are best for each young person—without politicians getting in the way,” he said.

https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/596704-hhs-secretary-calls-texas-order-to-treat-gender-affirming

Senate Republicans oppose Biden's $22.5 billion COVID-relief request

 Senior Senate Republicans, including the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, say they do not support the Biden administration’s request for another $22.5 billion to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), the ranking member of the Appropriations panel, on Thursday said he doesn’t support doling out another $22.5 billion for COVID relief when billions of dollars in federal aid remain unspent. 

“No, I don’t,” he said when asked if the administration’s request is warranted. “I think that we ought to determine — and we’ve asked the administration — how much unspent money is there. There are billions of dollars unspent. 

“The American people need an accounting on how much is left. Let’s spend that first before we start borrowing more,” he added.  

Shelby made his comments a day after the acting White House budget director Shalanda Young, sent a letter to Capitol Hill requesting $22.5 billion to address “immediate needs to avoid disruption to ongoing COVID response efforts over the next few months.” 

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) said Shelby’s view is “very widely” held in the Senate GOP conference and predicted there would be strong Republican resistance to adding $22.5 billion in new COVID relief to a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package negotiators are trying to wrap up by March 11.  

“There’s a general belief that there’s a lot of money out there still floating around and before we put more out, we need to get an accounting for that,” Thune said. “And I think that includes even people who otherwise might be inclined to support some of the things that would be included there.” 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a conservative member of the GOP conference, on Thursday warned against adding to the deficit and possibly further fueling inflation.  

“We see inflation galloping across the country. That is caused by the trillions in new spending and trillions in new debt the Democrats have ran through. Just this week, President Biden gave a State of the Union address complaining about inflation but it seems he has no idea where it comes from,” he said. 

“When it comes to COVID relief funds, the Democrats have no idea what’s been spent already. There are billions still unspent and everyone acknowledges there are billions in fraud on top of that,” he added.  

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), however, told reporters on Thursday that the additional funding request “is absolutely necessary” and predicted that Congress would have to spend even more than that to help treat the ongoing pandemic.  

“In fact, we probably will need more as we need more therapies,” she said.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/596726-senate-republicans-oppose-bidens-225-billion-covid-relief-request

NYMOX Submits NDA to FDA for Prostate Hyperplasia Treatment

 Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation (NASDAQ: NYMX) (the “Company”) is pleased to announce today that it has submitted the Company’s New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA for Fexapotide Triflutate to seek marketing approval in the U.S. for Fexapotide Triflutate for the treatment of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

The submission of the application does not involve any guarantees or forward looking statements regarding outcomes of the submission. The Company will continue to make updates on all material and required developments with the application, and in accordance with prior statements provided in the Company’s regular SEC filings.

Nymox intends to submit applications in other major markets in the near term and will provide updates at the appropriate times in due course.

https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/nymox-announces-submission-of-new-drug-application-nda-to-the-fda-for-fexapotide-triflutate/

Kaine describes '24/7' tingling sensation from long COVID-19

 Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) detailed the ongoing COVID-19 symptoms he continues to experience two years after becoming infected during an interview with The Washington Post published this week.

“I tell people it feels like all my nerves have had like five cups of coffee,” Kaine told the Post, describing it as a “24/7” tingling sensation.

Kaine first developed flu-like symptoms in March of 2020. Though COVID-19 symptoms were not available at the time, the Virginia senator later tested positive for coronavirus antibodies in May, indicating a prior infection. Most of his symptoms were mild, but Kaine said his nerve tingling never stopped.

After getting an MRI, a doctor told Kaine that everything seemed fine.

“I know how my body felt before I got COVID, I know how it felt when I got COVID, and it’s not gone back to where it was before,” he said. “That gives me an understanding for people who talk about these long COVID symptoms."

On Wednesday, Kaine introduced a bill with fellow Democratic Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.) and Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) aimed at helping people who live with "long COVID" symptoms.

“This legislation will help improve our understanding of and response to long COVID by expanding resources for those dealing with the long-term impacts of the virus," Kaine said when announcing the bill. "As a member of the Senate [Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions] Committee, I will continue working to ensure greater access to critical tools to keep our communities healthy and safe.”

The bill, called the CARE for Long COVID Act, would centralize information on long COVID and increase public awareness of the condition as well possible treatments.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes long COVID as the ongoing experience of coronavirus symptoms for four or more weeks after initial infection. According to the agency, the condition can occur in people who did not have symptoms after their initial infection.

Symptoms of the long COVID can include fatigue, fever, heart palpitations, brain fog or a change in senses such as smell and taste. As the Post noted, millions of COVID-19 recoverees may experience last symptoms. 

“That’s going to put a burden on our health-care system,” Kaine told the newspaper. “It’s also going to require some research and some understanding, compassion, for people dealing with these symptoms — adjustments and accommodations in the workplace. There’s going to be a lot of consequences of this.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/596687-kaine-describes-24-7-tingling-sensation-from-long-covid-19

White House requests $22.5B for 'immediate' COVID-19 response needs

 The Biden administration is requesting $22.5 billion from Congress for the COVID-19 response, setting up a tussle with Republican lawmakers who have resisted new funding.  

In a letter to Congress dated Wednesday, the White House said the additional funds are crucial for efforts around vaccines, treatments, and testing. In addition, $5 billion of the funding will go towards the global COVID-19 response, including vaccinating other countries, which is key to helping stop new variants from arising.  

“Without additional resources, we won’t be able to secure the treatments, vaccines, and tests Americans need in coming months and fight future variants,” wrote acting Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young. “And critical COVID response efforts – such as free community testing sites and testing, treatment, and vaccination coverage for uninsured individuals – will end this spring.” 

The White House is urging that the funding be included in a broader government funding bill that faces a March 11 deadline.  

Republicans have pushed back on new COVID-19 funds, pointing to the billions already provided for the virus response.  

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Wednesday led 35 other Republican senators, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), in a letter telling the administration they want a “full accounting” of money already spent “before we would consider” new COVID-19 funds. 

Young, though, said that “nearly all” of the previous funding has been used.  

The administration had earlier informally briefed Congress on the need for $30 billion centered on domestic needs and $5 billion for the global virus response. But it appears that request was cut somewhat before the formal request was sent.  

Young noted that the request is for immediate needs and she anticipates later asking for more money, which could also prove a challenge to get through Congress. 

“I anticipate that additional funding will be needed to support the COVID-19 response,” she wrote.  

The administration released a sweeping plan for the next phase of the virus fight on Wednesday, which needs funding to be implemented.  

“While this funding request would allow us to initiate the actions outlined in the strategy, we will provide additional information about anticipated resource needs in the weeks ahead,” Young wrote. 

The current funding request would provide support for key areas like next-generation vaccine development for new variants, building testing capacity, and purchasing additional supplies of antiviral pills.  

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/596679-white-house-requests-225b-for-immediate-covid-19-response-needs