Overnight Healthcare: Zika funding nears finish line | House expected to approve spending bill tonight | New pledge to push medical cures bill

The months-long marathon for Zika funding turned into a sprint Wednesday as GOP lawmakers raced towards the exits.  

The House is expected to comfortably clear a 10-week government spending bill that includes $1.1 billion of funding to fight the Zika virus late Wednesday night. The legislation will then head to President Obama’s desk two days ahead of the deadline, giving lawmakers a solid six weeks on the campaign trail.

{mosads}The Wednesday evening vote caps a dramatic 24-hours of dealmaking led by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on another public health funding crisis: the drinking water contamination in Flint, Mich.

House GOP leaders agreed to waive a budget rule to put $170 million for Flint in a separate water resources bill in exchange for Democratic support on the government spending bill, which also includes $500 million to aid flood victims in several states. The Flint funding amendment was approved on the House floor late Wednesday, 284 to 141.

The final vote is expected just before midnight.

Lawmakers pledge to push for medical cures bill in lame duck

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers on Wednesday released a statement pledging to work to get a medical cures bill signed into law “this fall” despite struggling for months to reach a deal.

“We have been working hard for months, and we will continue to work toward an agreement that can pass both chambers and be signed by the president,” leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee said in a statement.

“And the good news is that we are on the cusp of something special,” they continued. “We are focused on delivering #CuresNow. At hand is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and we’re committed to getting 21st Century Cures signed into law this fall.”

The lawmakers acknowledged that the bill would not move before Congress leaves town for the elections, but they are pledging to push it in a lame-duck session later this year. Read more here. http://bit.ly/2daECGK

CDC responds to claims of ineffective Zika tests

A leading official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is rejecting claims that the agency has been knowingly promoting a less effective test for the Zika virus.

The public health agency has been hit with criticism this week after one of its own top scientists alleged that CDC officials had recommended the use of a Zika test that is far less effective than another existing test.

“We are using the best tests available, but they could be much, much better,” deputy director Dr. Anne Schuchat said during an interview at the Atlantic Ideas Forum when asked about the allegations. Read more here: http://bit.ly/2dssoqx

ON TAP TOMORROW:

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell will speak at the Atlantic Ideas Forum.

WHAT WE’RE READING:

GOP chairmen, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), are beginning to float potential fixes for ObamaCare with some anticipating a Clinton White House. (Morning Consult)   

Just 4 percent of all U.S. adults think contraception is immoral. (Pew Research Center)

Out of 55 former FDA drug reviewers, 15 eventually worked for or consulted for the pharmaceutical industry, according to a recent analysis highlighting the agency’s revolving door. (Modern Healthcare)

Federal employee health premiums to rise 6.2 percent on average. (Washington Post)

Researchers may have found a key to understanding Crohn’s disease after discovering a fungus and bacteria that they believe are major factors in the disease. (Huffington Post).

IN THE STATES:

Until this week, D.C. was without a Planned Parenthood for nearly a year. (Washington Post)

Heroin was a risk factor in about 8 percent of investigations of child neglect this year in New Hampshire – up about 5 percent from 2014. (New York Times)

Local leaders say there’s a growing movement to help people in rural regions get access to mental healthcare, with help from telemedicine and tweaks in federal health laws. (Governing)

Results from Florida Gov. Scott’s emergency Zika research are years away. (Tampa Bay Times)

ICYMI FROM THE HILL DOT COM:

Senators condemn ObamaCare insurer ‘bailouts’ http://bit.ly/2dm0j3n

California to allow experimental drug treatments for the terminally ill http://bit.ly/2dllDcI

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