US Policy Pulse

New work requirements under the 2025 Big Beautiful Bill Act are cutting enrollment in major safety-net programs.

• SNAP rolls fell 5.3 million from...

• Economist calls for constitutional brake: Steve Hanke urges Article V convention to impose fiscal discipline as debt nears $40 trillion.
• CBO data...

Trump's August 10 executive order creates "Gold Standard" recommendations that limit universal childhood vaccines to 11 diseases, matching peer...

A JAMA Viewpoint outlines how federal health agencies and state-level safeguards operate in parallel to protect public health, underscoring the Supreme Court's influence on these regulatory frameworks.

RFK Jr.'s CDC visit highlighted the challenge of restoring public health trust through mixed messaging.

• Legitimate points: He correctly noted...

Federal aid makes up nearly 40% of budgets in the most dependent states.

• Highest reliance: Alaska (39%), Kentucky (38%), and Vermont (38%) of state...

The Trump administration proposes making GRAS notifications mandatory for food additives, giving the FDA greater visibility into substances entering...

Selected states are advancing liability rules for AI in healthcare that must operate within the HIPAA Privacy Rule's strict requirements and limits on the use and disclosure of protected health information.

• Eight red states tighten rules: Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Utah will demand proof of medical frailty...

The federal minimum wage remains stuck at $7.25 an hour with no congressional raise in nearly twenty years, underscoring how federal inaction shifts wage policy debates to the states.

The latest CBO federal outlook is defined by rising costs and imbalances, signaling tough policy choices on spending and debt ahead.

Sen. Markey and Rep. Jayapal reintroduced the GREEN Hospitals Act to deliver $105 billion for modernizing health facilities against climate disasters...

Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) reintroduced the Pathways to Health Careers Act to restart the expired HPOG program and...

States are expanding oversight of healthcare consolidation through new reporting and transparency mandates.

• Attorney John Saran highlights this...

A federal judge rejected 25 Democratic-led states' bid to delay Medicaid work requirements, upholding the Jan. 1 deadline set by Congress. States must...

• Senate cleared a short-term CR early Saturday that boosts SNAP, FEMA, Navy shipbuilding and veterans’ programs through Dec. 11.
• Both chambers now...

A bipartisan congressional advisory commission identified four systemic gaps eroding the US lead in rare disease therapies:

• Funding shortfalls:...

Supporters argue a federal COVID-19 vaccine injury table would finally validate patients dismissed for years and strengthen public trust by openly...

The federal funds rate has swung from 0.25% during COVID to a 20% peak in 1981, anchoring mortgages, debt costs, and inflation expectations. These...

The Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance the 2026 Farm Bill on a 10-11 party-line vote, with disputes over shifting SNAP costs to states...