- Star Grassroots Advocates
- The Government Relations team would like to thank the members of PAEA’s Government Relations Steering Committee for an excellent Hill Day during its annual in-person meeting! The Committee visited 17 Capitol Hill offices on February 26 to advocate for PA education priorities related to Title VII, the Higher Education Act, and more. Thanks for your work, GRSC members!
- Advancing PAEA’s Advocacy Agenda
- As the Senate moves towards the release of a draft reauthorization bill of the Higher Education Act, the PAEA Government Relations team has met with leading members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee to advocate for PA education priorities such as the protection of the Grad PLUS loan program and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. As the reauthorization debate continues, PAEA will continue targeted outreach efforts to ensure the voice of PA education is firmly at the forefront of the discussion as the effort advances.
- In late February, Representatives Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Hal Rogers of Kentucky introduced H.R. 5102, the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2018. This bill would authorize new loan repayment programs for health care providers (including PAs) who choose to specialize in substance use disorder care in an effort to expand access to treatment in the face of the growing national opioid epidemic. PAEA strongly supports this legislation and is committed to its advancement.
- Health Care News in Washington
- The Trump administration released its FY 2019 budget in February, officially initiating the FY 2019 budget and appropriations cycle. As was the case in the president’s FY 2018 proposal, the budget proposes severe cuts to Title VII health workforce programs, among other deep cuts related to health and non-discretionary defense spending broadly. Read more about the president’s most recent budget proposal here.
- Senator Rob Portman of Ohio introduced “CARA 2.0,” a bill to reauthorize the 2016 Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act in February. Among other measures designed to strengthen the national response to the opioid epidemic, CARA 2.0 would make eligibility for DATA 2000 waivers for PAs to prescribe buprenorphine permanent (as opposed to expiring in 2021 as is the case under current law). PAEA is supportive of this legislation and encourages its swift enactment.
- Opportunities for Action
- In January, the Government Relations team sent an action alert asking PAEA members to contact their representatives and tell them to protect the Grad PLUS and Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs as the proposed reauthorization of the HEA moves forward. If you have not already done so, please take action to protect these essential programs.
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