Key Takeaways
- •Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) convened a Member Day hearing where senators presented dozens of bipartisan legislative priorities spanning healthcare transparency, workforce development, and maternal health for future committee consideration.
- •Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Sen. Susan M. Collins (R-ME) advocated for the INSULIN Act to cap costs at $35, while others prioritized rural maternal health and nursing shortages.
- •Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Sen. John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO) pressed for the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, which Cassidy noted is currently undergoing complex technical assistance reviews across multiple agencies.
- •While most proposals were bipartisan, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) criticized federal agencies and "Big Pharma" for obstructing "Right to Try" laws, contrasting with the committee's generally collaborative tone.
- •The committee will evaluate these member-led initiatives for inclusion in upcoming markups, focusing on areas like drug pricing, child care modernization, and strengthening the healthcare workforce.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
This hearing served as a "Member Day," providing a platform for both committee and non-committee members to present their legislative priorities within the jurisdiction of health, education, labor, and pensions. The session highlighted a broad range of bipartisan initiatives aimed at reducing healthcare costs, addressing workforce shortages—particularly in nursing and child care—and improving educational transparency and access. The hearing underscored a collaborative atmosphere, with members from both parties pitching specific bills for future committee markups and legislative action.
Key Testimony & Policy
The testimony focused heavily on healthcare transparency and affordability. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Sen. John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO) advocated for the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, which would mandate hospital and insurer price transparency, potentially generating $75 billion in tax revenue over a decade. Sen. Susan M. Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) discussed the INSULIN Act, which proposes a $35 monthly cap on insulin costs for individuals with commercial insurance and the uninsured, building on existing caps for Medicare beneficiaries.
Maternal and rural health were also prominent themes. Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH) and Sen. Collins highlighted the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act, designed to provide grants and training for rural hospitals lacking dedicated labor and delivery units. Additionally, Sen. Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-MD) introduced the U-FIGHT Act to expand research and screening for uterine fibroids and the Women’s Heart Health Expansion Act to reauthorize the WISEWOMAN program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Workforce development and labor policy featured several innovative proposals. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) proposed the creation of an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Labor (ARPA-L), modeled after DARPA, to address workforce challenges through high-impact research and development. Nursing shortages were addressed through the National Nursing Workforce Center Act and the reauthorization of the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Act, supported by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV). In education, Sen. Merkley and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) presented competing but similar efforts—the Fair College Admissions for Students Act and the MERIT Act—to end legacy preferences in higher education admissions.
Notable Exchanges & Partisan Dynamics
The hearing was characterized by a high degree of bipartisanship, with nearly every senator presenting legislation co-sponsored by a member of the opposing party. Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) noted that the committee had already advanced 14 bipartisan bills in the current Congress and emphasized his commitment to cutting through "noise" to deliver results. He specifically highlighted the need for technical assistance (TA) from federal agencies to move complex bills like the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act forward, noting that coordination between multiple agencies often slows the legislative process.
A few areas of potential friction were touched upon, such as Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) critique of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the implementation of "Right to Try" laws and his proposal for a "Right to Treat" bill to protect doctors' off-label prescription rights. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) also introduced more socially conservative priorities, including the Conscience Protection Act to protect medical providers' religious beliefs and legislation to prevent discrimination against religious student organizations on college campuses. Despite these specific viewpoints, the overall tone remained focused on finding common ground for markups.
Organizations Mentioned
* **Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP Committee):** The primary body receiving the legislative proposals and responsible for scheduling future markups. * **Food and Drug Administration (FDA):** Discussed regarding its role in drug approvals, the "Right to Try" program, and the need for better coordination with the Patent Office to prevent "patent thickets." * **Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):** Mentioned as the agency responsible for implementing various maternal health grants and the proposed falls prevention office. * **Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):** Identified as the administrator of the WISEWOMAN program for cardiovascular screenings and a source of data on opioid fatalities. * **Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP):** Discussed by Sen. Blunt Rochester regarding a proposal to ensure the panel remains a nonpartisan, independent body of experts. * **Congressional Budget Office (CBO):** Referenced by several members as the entity responsible for providing the "scores" or cost estimates necessary to move bills like the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act to a vote. * **National Security Commission for Emerging Biotechnology:** Cited by Sen. Young as the source of recommendations for the National Biotechnology Initiative Act to compete with China. * **National Head Start Association:** Mentioned as a supporter of the HEADWAY Act, which aims to address teacher shortages in early childhood education.
What's Next
Chair Cassidy indicated that committee staff are actively working on obtaining technical assistance from federal agencies for several of the mentioned bills. Members were encouraged to submit additional statements for the record by April 2, 2026. The hearing set the stage for upcoming bipartisan markups, with specific calls for action on the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, the INSULIN Act, and the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act. The committee is expected to integrate these Member Day priorities into broader legislative packages related to workforce innovation and healthcare reform in the coming months.
Transcript
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will please come to order. Let me compliment the committee. This Congress, we have voted almost unanimously to advance 14 bipartisan, pro-patient, pro-worker, pro-family bills. We've also passed a historic bipartisan package of legislation that lowers drug prices, holds drug middlemen accountable, funds primary care, and increases access to pediatric cancer treatments. As chair, my focus is cutting through the noise to deliver for Louisiana and for the United States of America. In my practice of medicine for over 25 years, I cared for people who were economically vulnerable, uninsured, living on the edge economically. And a lot of families feel that way now. Health care, drug prices, college tuition is all too expensive, and for these families, it is not sustainable. The more that we can do in this committee, working together, taking power from giant insurance companies and giving it to patients so that they are in charge of their own health, taking power from federal bureaucrats and giving it to parents so they can be in charge of their child's education, giving workers more freedom to pursue the job arrangement that works best for them, and employers the ability to adapt retirement and health benefits to the choices the workers make, the more we are doing our job. This hearing is to discuss ideas to do all those things. A few bills I want to highlight. Literacy continues to be a challenge. In particular, individuals with learning needs are underserved by the status quo. My 21st Century Dyslexia Act would improve screening for individuals with dyslexia and enhance access to evidence-based interventions and resources, empowering these capable students with the tools they need to improve reading ability. My College Transparency Act empowers students and families with more information around student outcomes at an institution so they can make the best college decisions for the future. We also have a responsibility to bring stability to businesses and workers to make our nation competitive in a 21st century economy. Congress has not updated labor laws for almost 100 years. Yet the economy and the way we work has dramatically changed. We have the opportunity to pass legislation to make health and retirement benefits more portable to meet the needs of today's workers. This should be bipartisan. Part of the American dream is having the financial freedom to retire. I've worked with Senator Kaine on multiple bills as regards this, including the Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act and the Auto Re-enroll Act of 2025. I thank Senator Kaine for his leadership and collaboration. Earlier this year, the committee and the Senate unanimously passed a bill that I worked on with Senator Hassan, the Employee Ownership Act, and we also passed Senators Marshall and Kaine's Retire Through Ownership Act, bills expanding employee stock ownership programs so that more workers can benefit from the success of their employer. Let's keep delivering. Let's make health care, higher education, and life less expensive. I'm looking forward to hearing about areas we can work on together. Before we begin, as a reminder, members on committee will have three minutes to testify and off-committee members will have two minutes. With that, I recognize Senator Kaine for his testimony.
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