Pallone Blasts Republicans for Walking Away from Bipartisan Government Funding Agreement
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today on House Republicans reneging on a bipartisan government funding agreement that Speaker Johnson personally negotiated:
“At the start of this week, we had a bipartisan agreement to keep the government running and deliver critical relief to communities across the country. Now, thanks to a tweet from the world’s richest man, House Republicans are on the brink of shutting down the government during the holiday season.
“It’s unconscionable for Republicans to abandon bipartisanship and order a holiday shutdown to appease the whims of billionaires who won’t feel the hurt of a missed paycheck over Christmas.
“As the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I worked to secure meaningful provisions in the bipartisan government funding package that would have lowered costs for Americans, supported pediatric cancer and rare disease patients, and provided much-needed relief to people in need. It’s shameful that Republicans have decided to walk away from that bipartisan agreement and risk shutting down the government.”
The bipartisan government funding agreement included significant policy provisions that would have made a meaningful difference in the lives of hardworking Americans, including:
Health Care:
- Pediatric Cancer and Rare Disease Therapies:removed provisions that would have supported development of new therapies for pediatric cancer patients.
- Community Health Centers: would have expanded funding to ensure continued access to lifesaving care for millions of Americans annually at an increased funding level of $4.5 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2025 and $4.6 billion for FY 2026.
- Teaching Health Centers Program:would have provided five years of increased funding to expand training programs for primary care providers, increasing annual funding to $300 million by FY 2029—a 71 percent boost from current levels. The program supports the training of the next generation of health care providers in underserved communities, including at Community Health Centers.
- Public Health Program Reauthorizations:would have reauthorized funding for pandemic response, including medical countermeasures and hospital readiness programs through 2026.
- Prescription Drug Reforms:would have banned abusive pricing practices by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), increased transparency in drug pricing, and addressed patent abuses to lower costs for patients.
- Medicare Enhancements:would have provided a temporary payment increase for physicians.
- Support for Vulnerable Populations:would have expanded maternal health initiatives, supported individuals with disabilities, enhanced recovery services for those impacted by substance use disorders, and ensured children with special health care needs could receive timely specialized care.
- Pediatric Therapies:would have advanced policies to promote the development of safe and effective treatments tailored to children and hold drug manufacturers accountable to complete pediatric clinical trials.
Consumer Protection:
- Junk Fees Ban: would have cracked down on junk fees by requiring upfront, all-in pricing for hotels, vacation rentals, and live-event tickets. Additionally, it mandated refunds for canceled events, banned speculative ticketing, and prohibited deceptive ticketing websites.
- Combating Online Exploitation: would have established new protections against non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes, with tools for removal and prosecution.
- Protecting Consumer Privacy: would have required manufacturers of internet-connected devices to clearly and conspicuously disclose when they include cameras or microphones in their products.
Energy and Environment:
- Year-round E-15: would have ensured Americans had access to homegrown biofuels that save drivers money at the pump and help insulate people from dramatic global price fluctuations. Dropping this provision only serves to line the pockets of Big Oil CEOs at the expense of everyday Americans.
- Safe Drinking Water: included funding to improve the resilience of drinking water systems, such as addressing vulnerabilities to cybersecurity threats. This program is especially vital amid growing cyber threats to our water systems, especially from foreign adversaries.
Communications:
- Secure Networks:would have helped secure our U.S. telecom networks from untrusted satellite equipment and operators that pose a national security threat.
- Address National Security Threats:would have authorized studying the national security threat posed by routers that are manufactured by companies controlled by foreign adversary countries, a key question following the Salt Typhoon cyberattack.
- NTIA Reauthorization:would have reauthorized the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the President’s primary advisor on communications and information issues, and the manager of federal spectrum holdings.
- Transparency: would have required more transparency around the telecommunications companies operating in the United States that are controlled by foreign adversaries as well as more thorough vetting of the companies awarded federal funding through the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service programs.
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