Becerra is slated to testify in front of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Appropriations Committee tomorrow. On Wednesday, he’ll face the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee.
If his hearings in the Senate last week are any indication, Becerra will likely face pointed questions about the administration’s plans to tackle prescription drug prices, Alzheimer’s research and the coverage of Alzheimer’s drugs, and the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alzheimer’s advocates attended last Wednesday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing, to show support for lawmakers that wanted to press Becerra on why the Medicare program has been reluctant to cover new treatments for the disease.
Becerra faced a Democratic-controlled Senate last week, and largely avoided engaging GOP members on the contentious issues. This week is the first time he’ll testify in front of GOP-run House panels.
The Biden administration’s budget is seeking a $14.8 billion, or nearly 12 percent, increase from the 2023 enacted level in discretionary funding for HHS in its proposed 2024 budget.
One of the proposed measures that Republican House members are likely to needle Becerra is the tax hike on wealthy Americans to keep Medicare solvent. GOP leaders have all but deemed any tax increases to be dead-on-arrival.
