Wyden Hearing Statement on TIGTA Nomination
The Finance Committee meets this morning to discuss the nomination of David Johnson to serve as Inspector General for Tax Administration. First, on Mr. Johnson’s background. This is a non-partisan, down-the-middle nominee for a position that requires exactly that type of individual. Mr. Johnson currently serves as the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the […]
Democratic Health Leaders Warn Medicare Advantage is Falling Short for Seniors, Americans with Disabilities
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal, D-Mass., and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., today warned that Medicare Advantage (MA), an optional, private insurance alternative to traditional Medicare, is failing to live up to the standards […]
Wyden, Raskin Call for Department of Justice to Appoint a Special Counsel to Investigate Jared Kushner for Acting as an Unregistered Foreign Agent
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-M.D.) called today on Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) by Jared Kushner, son-in-law and former senior White House advisor […]
Wyden Hails Biden-Harris Action to Expand Access to Contraception
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today hailed the announcement of a proposed rule from the Biden-Harris administration that would expand access and lower costs for contraception for Americans with private health insurance. “As Trump and his radical Republican allies restrict women’s reproductive health care, today’s action by the Biden-Harris administration […]
Wyden Urges CMS to Expand the Addiction Medicine Workforce for Patients Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to use forthcoming guidance from the agency as an opportunity to expand the addiction medicine workforce that services Americans covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). “I have heard from many providers and […]
Wyden Demands Copies of Independent Audit Reports, Answers from UnitedHealth on Change Healthcare Cyberattack
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sought more details from UnitedHealth Group (UHG) CEO Andrew Witty on a major cyberattack that imperiled the American health care system earlier this year and caused severe disruption to patients, doctors and hospitals across the country in a letter sent to the company. “I write […]
Wyden Demands Pfizer’s Compliance with Committee’s Pharma Tax Investigation
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sent a letter late last week demanding Pfizer’s compliance with the Finance Committee’s long-running investigation into the means by which large pharmaceutical companies use offshore tax havens to avoid paying taxes. One of six Big Pharma companies whose tax records the committee has sought in […]
Wyden asks DOJ to Investigate Medicaid Fraud by Youth Residential Treatment Facilities and Potential Civil Rights Violations by States
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today asked the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate whether four major youth residential treatment facilities (RTFs) are committing Medicaid fraud by failing to provide needed care that they are required to provide to Medicaid beneficiaries. Wyden also asked that the DOJ investigate whether […]
Wyden Announces Virginia Lenahan as Finance Committee Chief International Trade Counsel
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced Virginia Lenahan as the Chief International Trade Counsel on the Senate Finance Committee majority staff. Lenahan currently serves as Senior International Trade Counsel for the Committee. “As a proud native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Virginia knows first-hand how international trade can impact the livelihoods […]
Wyden and Brown Urge FTC to Investigate Emerging Anti-Competitive Practices by PBMs
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Finance Committee Member Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, today urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to expand its work into additional anti-competitive practices by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that the industry may be using to put up barriers to competition and take in larger revenues. […]