Witnesses with rare diseases, advocates for medical ethics and therapeutic industry professionals discussed access to research and treatment for rare diseases before the Senate Special Aging Committee. Topics included giving patients with life-threatening illnesses timely access to new treatments, FDA clinical trial processes, and patient-focused drug development.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) gave remarks at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership conference in Las Vegas. Representatives Max Miller (R-OH) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) were also part of the event.
President Biden announced the Labor Department's new retirement security rule proposal, which aims to eliminate loopholes and "junk fees" and require financial advisers to have a fiduciary duty to their client when giving retirement advice. "When you pay someone for retirement advice, they must give you advice that's in your best interest, not whether it gives them the best pay day," said President Biden. He delivered remarks from the White House and was joined by acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins.
Maine Senators Angus King & Susan Collins discussed the mass shooting that took place in Lewiston, Maine on October 25 and remembered the victims by reading their names aloud from the Senate floor.
The Senate will continue work on a 3-bill spending package funding the Agriculture, Housing, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs Departments as well as military construction projects for next year.
Veterans Affairs (VA) Chief Research and Development Officer Rachel Ramoni testified on the VA's research priorities before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. She was joined by medical consultants and stakeholders from the Million Veteran Program and National Alliance on Mental Illness to discuss clinical trials for veterans, geriatric research, and opportunities for research and development in rural communities.
Vice President Kamala Harris announced the launch of the United States AI Safety Institute during an international summit on the technology. Her remarks followed an executive order by President Biden that established standards for AI security and privacy. The vice president made the remarks at the United Kingdom AI Summit sponsored by the British government.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on the impact of climate change on severe weather events, such as heat waves, floods, and hurricanes. Witnesses included Michael Wehner, senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Jennifer Jurado, chief resilience officer of Broward County, Florida, who both testified on how human-caused climate change was making severe weather events more frequent and intense.
Veterans Affairs (VA) Chief Research and Development Officer Rachel Ramoni testified on the VA's research priorities before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. She was joined by medical consultants and stakeholders from the Million Veteran Program and National Alliance on Mental Illness to discuss clinical trials for veterans, geriatric research, and opportunities for research and development in rural communities.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) defended his decision to block over 300 military promotions in protest of the Defense Department's policy on travel for abortion care as several Republican Senators came to the floor to voice their opposition to the blockade and try to convince Sen. Tuberville to change course. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) proceeded to make requests for nominations to be approved by voice vote, all of which were objected to by Sen. Tuberville.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) gave remarks at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership conference in Las Vegas. Representatives Max Miller (R-OH) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) were also part of the event.
Marine Corps Commandant General Eric Smith was a featured speaker at the 2023 Military Reporters and Editors Conference in Washington, DC. He discussed Marine Corps readiness as well as the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars. He was interviewed by Voice of America Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb and took several questions from the audience.
War journalists shared their experiences reporting from the battleground during a discussion at the 2023 Military Reporters and Editors Conference in Washington, D.C. They shared stories on how the posture changed pre-war and post-war in Ukraine, shared best safety practices and reporting advice for journalists working in the field, and discussed lessons Israel may have taken from Ukraine on information sharing.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) defended his decision to block over 300 military promotions in protest of the Defense Department's policy on travel for abortion care as several Republican Senators came to the floor to voice their opposition to the blockade and try to convince Sen. Tuberville to change course. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) proceeded to make requests for nominations to be approved by voice vote, all of which were objected to by Sen. Tuberville.
