After leaders are elected to the U.S. Congress, they are assigned to committees of jurisdiction or work groups of members of Congress considered to be the experts in certain issue areas. When a bill is introduced before the U.S. Congress, it is referred to these committee experts to examine the bill. During the committee’s vetting process, it hosts hearings where industry experts testify about the positives and negatives of the policy under consideration – with the goal of giving the committee the information it needs to determine if bill provisions need adjustment or if bill merits should be advanced for further consideration.
When it comes to pharmacy issues, there are four key committees of jurisdiction with two in the U.S. House of Representatives called the U.S. House Ways & Means Committee and U.S. Energy & Commerce Committee and two in the U.S. Senate called the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. When adding the number of members of Congress on these four healthcare committees, 141 members of Congress are very well positioned to make a difference on pharmacy issues.
If your constituency is represented by one of these 141 members of Congress that means you have a direct pipeline to a leader poised to influence pharmacy policy. With retirements and leaders running for other offices in 2024, we already know 16% will not return to office in 2025. That’s twenty-two new key healthcare committee members we know of without the results of the upcoming November elections.
The 2024 elections will greatly impact the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee. We already know thirteen members of the full committee will not return in 2025 (26%). A closer look at its health subcommittee shows even greater impact with almost one out of every three leaders not returning in 2025, leaving nine seats vacant – including the current health subcommittee vice chair and ranking member. See the detailed list below and stay tuned for our review of election impact on other key committees.
It is critical all pharmacy voters engage in the 2024 elections by researching candidates, registering to vote and utilizing voter registration resources located at PharmacyVoter.org
U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee Members Not Running in 2024
Arizona
U.S. Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08)
California
U.S. Representative Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29)
U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16)
Delaware
U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL)
Indiana
U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon (R-IN-08)
U.S. Representative Greg Pence (R-IN-06)
Maryland
U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD-03)
New Hampshire
U.S. Representative Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH-02)
North Dakota
U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-AL)
South Carolina
U.S. Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC-03)
Texas
U.S. Representative Michael Burgess (R-TX-26)
Utah
U.S. Representative John Curtis (R-UT-03)
Washington
U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05)
Our patients, profession, and industry are depending on you to engage in the 2024 elections to support your candidate of choice. Visit pharmacyvoter.org TODAY. If you have any questions about this communication, please contact Heidi Ecker, Vice President of Government, Political & Digital Engagement via email at Hecker@nacds.org or phone at 703-837-4121.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Our voter registration services are available without regard to the voter’s political preference. Information and other assistance regarding registering or voting, and other services offered, shall not be withheld or refused on the basis of support for or opposition to particular candidates or a particular party.