Portal:Health Policy (U.S.)/In the news


 * House Democrats on October 18 failed to override President Bush's veto of the SCHIP expansion bill by a vote of 273 to 156, falling 13 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed for an override.


 * President Bush vetoed the SCHIP expansion bill and House Democrats delayed the override vote until October 18 in the hopes that a grass-roots campaign and television and radio advertisements would win over the roughly 15 Republicans needed to override it.


 * The House passed the revised SCHIP expansion bill on Sept. 25 in a vote of 265-159, short of the majority required to override an expected Presidential veto.


 * On July 12, the Senate Finance Committee agreed to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program.


 * On July 6, House Democrats scheduled the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 to be voted on under suspension of the rules, an indication that the bill had widespread support.


 * Congress will consider increasing cigarette taxes to help fund the state children’s health insurance program (SCHIP) in late Jun.


 * The Senate passed a bill on May 9 which was sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in a vote of 93-1 that would improve food safety operations.


 * The Senate passed, in a vote of 49-40-11, a bill on May 7 that was sponsored by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). The bill would require the FDA to certify the safety of imported drugs.


 * A bill sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) passed in a vote of 63-28 on May 3. This bill would allow drug importation from certain foreign countries.


 * The Senate rejected a bill sponsored by Sen. Wayne Allard (R- Colo) in a vote of 41-53-6 on May 2. The bill would have removed provisions for limiting market exclusivity for companies that test products on children.


 * In an Apr. 18 vote of 55-42, the Senate denied a motion to invoke cloture for the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007, which would require the federal government to negotiate with drug companies of the price of drugs for Medicare participants.


 * The Supreme Court upheld the legality of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 on Apr. 18.


 * Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Tom Davis (R-Va.) introduced The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act on Feb. 15, which would prevent tobacco advertising targeted at minors as well as reduce hazardous materials in tobacco products labeled "reduced risk" or "low-tar."


 * The House passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007 on Jan. 12, which was sponsored by Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), with a vote of 255-170. The bill would require the federal government to negotiate with drug companies over the price of drugs for Medicare participants.


 * President George W. Bush signed NASPER into law on Aug. 11, 2005, which gives states grant money to create scheduled drug tracking databases, allowing to hospitals and law enforcement to collect data on people receiving controlled substances.