- Star Grassroots Advocates
- In May, 2019-2020 Student Health Policy Fellow Sydney Adams conducted a virtual program visit with Congressman Ben Cline (R-VA). During the visit, students from the Radford University PA program thanked Representative Cline for his strong support of PA education and for serving as the first Republican cosponsor of the Physician Assistant Higher Education Modernization Act. Congratulations on this successful event!
- Advancing PAEA’s Advocacy Agenda
- PAEA submitted testimony to the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee in May outlining the Association’s funding priorities for fiscal year 2021. In the testimony, PAEA described the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on clinical training capacity and urged the subcommittee to support an overall funding level for Title VII and Title VIII health workforce programs of $790 million.
- In May, the House of Representatives passed a fifth bill - the Heroes Act - to respond to COVID-19. The bill includes a number of PAEA-supported provisions including $10,000 in student debt relief for particularly economically distressed students, additional aid to institutions of higher education, and an extension of student loan interest accrual and payment suspensions. PAEA will continue to advocate with key Senate offices as the Senate’s counterproposal is developed.
- Health Care News in Washington
- The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held an oversight hearing in mid-May entitled “Protecting Scientific Integrity in the COVID-19 Response” to examine whistleblower claims related to the federal government’s pandemic response efforts.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing in early May featuring testimony from key leaders in the Department of Health and Human Services to review progress in the national expansion of COVID-19 testing capacity.
- Opportunities for Action
- PAEA has partnered with the offices of Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky to advocate for the inclusion of H.R. 6650/S. 3634 - the Health Heroes 2020 Act - in future COVID-19 response legislation. This bill would provide $25 billion in supplemental funding for the National Health Service Corps scholarships and loan repayment programs while requiring 40% of scholarship awards to support underrepresented minority students. If you have not already done so, please contact your representatives in support of this bill today.
63