President Trump is set to deliver the State of the Union address on Tuesday at 9:00 pm EST, with Virginia Governor Spanberger confirmed to deliver the Democratic response. Big-picture topics to be covered during President Trump’s address include the recent US Supreme Court decision striking down the administration’s reciprocal tariffs and the ongoing government shutdown impacting the US Department of Homeland Security. Healthcare-related topics likely will include affordability, particularly with regard to drug pricing.
With Congress back from recess, the Senate Committee on Aging will hold a hearing on how US Food and Drug Administration processes and regulations impact innovation, and the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee will discuss how to advance the healthcare workforce, focusing on graduate medical education. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) will hold a markup to consider six bills, including two focused on the organ transplantation system and one addressing healthcare cybersecurity. On Wednesday, the HELP Committee will also hold a nomination hearing for Casey Means, MD, to serve as surgeon general. This hearing was originally scheduled for October 30, 2025, but was delayed when Means went into labor. Means’ nomination is one of the few outstanding healthcare-related nominations from the Trump administration.
In this week’s Healthcare Preview, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss what to watch for this week on Capitol Hill, including President Trump’s State of the Union address and upcoming healthcare hearings.
