Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Working Through Series Of Amendments On Infrastructure Bill
The Senate continued to vote Tuesday on amendments to the sweeping infrastructure legislation, working through some hiccups and tension about how quickly to move to a final vote. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned Democrats not to "speed the process" by calling a vote to end debate Wednesday, saying he would encourage Republicans to filibuster the bill if they do. (Kapur, 8/3)
A bipartisan group of senators unveiled legislation on Tuesday aimed at improving the U.S. government鈥檚 sprawling investigations of and response to the mysterious brain injuries affecting hundreds of American officials and personnel around the world. The bill, introduced by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), represents Congress鈥檚 latest bid to boost the Biden administration's efforts to get to the bottom of what has been dubbed 鈥淗avana syndrome鈥 鈥 so named after dozens of U.S. officials there were afflicted with suspicious ailments. The bill comes after POLITICO first reported earlier this year that U.S. officials were sounding the alarm to Congress about Americans鈥 increasing vulnerability to these incidents, which officials have struggled to understand. (Desiderio, 8/3)
Washington鈥檚 Metropolitan Police Department said that two more officers who responded to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have died by suicide. That raises to four the known number of suicides by police officers who defended the complex after supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, temporarily interrupting the certification of President Biden鈥檚 victory in the November election. The toll comprises three officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and one officer from the Capitol Police. (Corse, 8/3)