House panel passes public health bills following contentious debate

WASHINGTON  — The House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee on Thursday voted along party lines to pass a bill to let employers provide telehealth-only insurance and another to retroactively require Senate confirmation of the president’s pick to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also passed a bill to renew federal pandemic-preparedness programs, but Republicans blocked attempts by Democrats to add drug shortage reforms.

With 17 bills plus amendments under discussion, the lawmakers clashed over a wide range of topics — including whether to fund graduate medical education at hospitals that provide gender-affirming care.

Republicans said the telehealth bill would let employers provide insurance to seasonal employees who otherwise would have no insurance at all. 

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