Spectator NZ

Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined their colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2023 to help more Americans access telehealth services. The CONNECT for Health Act would expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make permanent telehealth flexibilities that were enacted during COVID, make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors, and help improve health outcomes. The Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill included provisions from the CONNECT for Health Act to temporarily extend COVID-related telehealth flexibilities, but these flexibilities are set to expire in 2025.

“One of the lessons we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that our health care system is more adaptable than we thought. Over the last three years, patients have received quality care from the comfort of their own homes through the expansion of telehealth services. I’m proud to introduce legislation that will make permanent some of these services and ensure Virginians continue to have access to the affordable health care they need when they need it,” said Warner.

“Many Americans, particularly those living in rural communities, rely on telehealth to receive health care, and we should make it as easy as possible for them to do so. This bill is critical to doing just that, and I’m proud to be joining my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation to remove the unnecessary barriers that limit Americans’ access to telehealth services,”said Kaine. 

The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016. Since 2016, several provisions of the original bill have been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care, and home dialysis. Three provisions from the CONNECT for Health Act were signed into law in 2020. As a result, there was a sharp rise in use of telehealth during the COVID pandemic as patients avoided traveling to hospitals and other health care settings and instead chose to receive care at home. Data shows that telehealth provides essential access to care with nearly a quarter of Americans accessing telehealth in the past month.

The CONNECT for Health Act of 2023 would build on this progress by:

• Permanently removing all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to include the home and other sites;
• Permanently allowing health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
• Allowing more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
• Removing unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services;
• Allowing for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
• Requiring more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care, and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.

The bill was led by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ben Cardin (D-MD), John Thune (R-SD), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). The CONNECT for Health was also cosponsored by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WW), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tim Scott (R-SC), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), James Lankford (R-OK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Thom Tillis (D-NC), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Steve Daines (R-MT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), John Boozman (R-AR), Jon Tester (D-MT), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Barrasso (R-WW), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Todd Young (R-IN). Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Tom Carper (D-DE), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Roger Marshall (R-KS). Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA-04), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), David Schweikert (R-AZ-01), and Bill Johnson (R-OH-06).

The CONNECT for Health Act has the support of more than 150 organizations including AARP, America’s Essential Hospitals, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, American Medical Group Association, American Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American Telemedicine Association, Consumer Technology Association, Federation of American Hospitals, HIMSS, Kaiser Permanente, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Quality Forum, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, National Rural Health Association, and Teladoc Health.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Source: United States Senator for Michigan Debbie Stabenow

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Washington (June 16, 2023) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), author of the Juneteenth Independence Day Act, released the following statement today in anticipation of Juneteenth, and in celebration of the second anniversary of Juneteenth’s commemoration as a federal holiday:

“This weekend families, friends, neighbors, and communities will come together to celebrate Juneteenth, a hallowed day in our nation’s history—a day of celebration, a day of remembrance, but most importantly, a day of action.  Together as a nation, this year we celebrate the second anniversary of Juneteenth National Independence Day, which marks the formal end of slavery in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law on January 1, 1865, but for two years, freedom and justice for enslaved Americans in Texas was delayed and denied. Even today, for so many Black Americans, the reality of justice delayed and denied persists. We will never fulfill our potential and our promise as a nation if we continue to ignore the legacy of slavery, the toll of racism, and the injustice of inequity that defined the founding of the great American experiment and that continue to plague us to this day.

“In partnership with my colleagues in Congress and the unrelenting advocacy of the inimitable Ms. Opal Lee, I introduced the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2020 to make Juneteenth a federal holiday—not as a day of rest, but as a day of recognition. On this day, we recognize and recommit to the work that lies ahead. We recommit to dismantling the profound injustices, rooted in racism and white supremacy, that continue to oppress Black Americans.

“On Juneteenth, I am calling on my colleagues in Congress not only to honor this holiday, but also to do the work to rectify our legacy of injustice by passing legislation that ends police violence, ensures equal voting rights and equal pay, guarantees health care to all, protects Black parents and babies from rising maternal mortality, defends Black communities from environmental injustice, pursues economic justice through reparations, and dismantles inequity in all of its forms.”

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Bill Text (PDF)

Washington (June 16, 2022) – Today, on World Sea Turtle Day, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced the reintroduction of the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation to establish a new $30 million grant program at the Department of Commerce to fund institutions in Massachusetts and across the United States in their efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and research stranded sea turtles. Congressman Bill Keating (MA-09) has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

All recognized species of sea turtles found within the United States are considered threatened or endangered. In 2000, 49 sea turtles were stranded and found on the beaches of Cape Cod, and in 2022, that number skyrocketed to 866. Current rescue efforts are predominantly volunteer and underfunded, but sea turtles face increasing risks that make strandings more likely, including temperature changes, red tide events, and entanglement in marine debris.

“We can’t leave our sea turtles stranded,” said Senator Markey. “Organizations and volunteers across the United States have rallied to help protect threatened and endangered sea turtles—now, it’s our turn to rally behind them. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan and bicameral legislation to provide much-needed financial support for invaluable sea turtle rescue efforts.”

“The waters off of the Texas Gulf Coast are home to several species of sea turtles which are crucial to the health of our diverse marine ecosystem,” said Senator Cornyn. “This legislation will support the rescue and recovery efforts of today while also investing in research to better protect the future of America’s sea turtle population.”

The federal government must step up to support sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation before it is too late,” said Congressman Keating. “Passage of the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act will reduce the strain on non-profit organizations doing the vital work to save these endangered animals, including the hundreds rescued on Cape Cod annually. I am proud to work with Senator Markey and the bipartisan group of co-sponsors committed to supporting sea turtle rescue efforts.”

“Sea turtles are critical to our marine ecosystems and face serious threats to their survival. Conservation partners like the National Aquarium in Baltimore do important work to protect them – but these organizations need more support. This legislation will unlock more federal resources for their rescue and rehabilitation to support the sea turtle population and the overall health of our ocean life,” said Senator Van Hollen.

A copy of the legislation can be found HERE.

Cosponsors include Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

Specifically, the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act would:

1.      Create a new grant program to fund rescue, recovery and research of sea turtles in the U.S., and authorize $5 million annually from 2024 through 2029 in new funding;

2.      Require that the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provide opportunities for engagement with stakeholders; and,

3.      Direct the Secretary of Commerce to prioritize applicants with an established record of rescuing, recovering, rehabilitating, transporting, or releasing stranded marine turtles or conducting scientific research pertinent to the causes of strandings.

The Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act is endorsed by the New England Aquarium, ABQ BioPark, Allied Whale – College of the Atlantic, Assateague Coastal Trust, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Aquarium of the Pacific, Audubon Nature Institute, Bird River Beach Community Association, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, Conservation Council For Hawaii, Georgia Aquarium, Georgia Sea Turtle Center / Jekyll Island Authority, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Gulf World Marine Institute, Houston Zoo, Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Kansas City Zoo, Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Marine Education – Research & Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. (MERR), Marine Conservation Institute, Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket, Mass Audubon, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, National Aquarium, National Marine Life Center, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York Marine Rescue Center, North Carolina Aquariums, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Sea Turtle Recovery, Inc., Seattle Aquarium, Seatuck Environmental Association, SeaWorld Parks, Shedd Aquarium, Sociedad Ornitologica Puertorriquena Inc., South Carolina Aquarium, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, Sunset Zoo, St. Louis Zoo, Surfrider Foundation, Texas Conservation Alliance, Texas Sealife Center, Texas State Aquarium, The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, The Florida Aquarium, The Ocean Project, Virgin Islands Conservation Society, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Wildlife Restoration Foundation, and Woodland Park Zoo.

“Successfully rescuing and rehabilitating hundreds of endangered sea turtles from the shores of New England each year involves a large network of partners across the country. Government funding assistance would have a significant impact on the continuation of this collaborative conservation work and the resulting research to solve ocean challenges. We thank Senator Markey and Representative Keating for their commitment to ensure the recovery and survival of these ocean animals,” said Vikki N. Spruill, President and CEO of the New England Aquarium.

“Sea turtles have the power to connect us all, and we see that every day in our aquariums through the eyes of our guests. Sea turtles are a pathway to conservation action, and their stories inspire everyone — regardless of where you live or political affiliation — to work toward a sustainable future for their sake, and our own. Witnessing our guests’ visceral reactions to sea turtles undergo rehabilitation within our aquariums only amplifies the importance of the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act, and its goal to build a federal funding stream to continue saving sea turtles and inspiring conservation of the natural world for generations to come,” said Kevin Mills, President and CEO of the South Carolina Aquarium.

“The National Aquarium applauds Senators Markey, Van Hollen and Cornyn and Representatives Keating and González-Colón for introducing the bicameral, bipartisan Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act of 2023. We are proud to be part of the nationwide network of organizations engaged in sea turtle conservation and in educating the public on the challenges facing these threatened and endangered species. Sea turtle strandings are on the rise as are the expenses related to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing them back to their ocean home. The level of voluntary contribution from stranding network partners is not sustainable. We thank Congressional champions for their leadership in creating a much-needed federal grant program to support this important work,” said John Racanelli, President and CEO of the National Aquarium.

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Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

NHTSA’s Letter Undermines Will of Massachusetts Voters and Biden Administration’s Competition Policy 

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington (June 16, 2023) — Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Sophie Schulman, calling on NHTSA to reverse its course after it sent a recent letter to auto manufacturers, advising them not to comply with Massachusetts’ Right to Repair law. 

“NHTSA’s decision to give auto manufacturers a green light to ignore state law appears to favor Big Auto, undermine the will of Massachusetts voters and the Biden Administration’s competition policy, and raise questions about both the decision process and the substance of the decision by NHTSA’s leadership. We are asking NHTSA to explain its rationale for its harmful actions and respect Massachusetts state law by reversing course,” wrote the senators. 

Massachusetts’ Right to Repair law requires auto manufacturers who sell cars in Massachusetts to equip them with a standardized open data platform so that owners and independent mechanics can access vehicle telematics data for repairs, maintenance, and diagnostics. The law passed via ballot initiative in November 2020, with nearly three-fourths of Massachusetts residents voting in favor. Big auto manufacturers spent $25 million to oppose the initiative and filed suit to stop the law from going into effect weeks after it passed. Two years into a drawn out legal process, a court rejected a last-minute request to block enforcement of the law on May 30, 2023, and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell began enforcing the law on June 1, 2023.

Despite this court order, on June 13, 2023, NHTSA’s Assistant Chief Counsel for Litigation and Enforcement wrote a letter to 22 auto manufacturers stating that the Right to Repair law is preempted by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act) and that auto manufacturers’ compliance with Massachusetts law would “conflict with (their) obligations under the Safety Act.”  

“NHTSA sent the June 13 letter with no warning, circumventing the legal process, contradicting a judicial order, undermining Massachusetts voters, harming competition and hurting consumers, and causing unnecessary confusion by raising this novel view two weeks after enforcement of the law began. Moreover, NHTSA’s position is not consistent with Administration policy. President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy (EO 14036) states that it is the policy of the Administration to combat the ‘harmful effects of monopoly and monopsony . . . (in) repair markets,’ and encourages the FTC to draft new regulations limiting ‘manufacturers from restricting people’s ability to use independent repair shops or do DIY repairs,’” wrote the senators. 

“It is disappointing that NHTSA’s letter relies on the argument pushed by major automobile manufacturers that there is, in this case, an irresolvable conflict between maintaining data security and providing independent repair shops with the data they need to conduct repairs. Auto manufacturers have routinely raised safety concerns as a way to ‘change the subject’ and distract consumers from the fact that ‘vehicle repair and maintenance services from independent repair shops keeps the cost of service and repair down,’” continued the senators. 

Given these serious concerns, the senators are calling on NHTSA to reconsider its decision and to allow Massachusetts to enforce the will of its voters and protect consumers. They are also asking Secretary Buttigieg and Deputy Administrator Schulman to respond to a set of questions about NHTSA’s letter.

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