TRADE
U.S.-U.K. trade bill introduced a week after Brexit vote
In an effort to get President Obama to fast-track talks with the United Kingdom on bilateral trade, Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Tom Cotton of Arkansas introduced a bill that mandates the United States to keep trading on exactly the same terms after Britain leaves the European Union.
While the United Kingdom Trade Continuity Act does not compel Obama to do anything, it does signal that the U.S. prioritizes closer economic ties with the U.K.
In a stark contrast with the trade deal between the U.S. and the EU, which has been under negotiation for more than 10 years, the Republican bill reads: “Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this act, the president should initiate negotiations with the United Kingdom with the goal of reaching a final comprehensive bilateral trade agreement by the date that is one year after such date of enactment; and the president should make every effort to negotiate such an agreement.”
In a statement on the bill, Lee said: “Our nation’s special relationship with the United Kingdom has promoted economic prosperity and security in both countries for over a hundred years. This relationship can and should be preserved — which is why we have introduced legislation that would minimize uncertainty and promote stability as the United Kingdom declares its independence from the European Union.”
Cotton said strong military ties between the two nations means that Britain should get special treatment.
“It is my hope that other European allies will also move in the spirit of magnanimity, generosity and continued friendship as they negotiate new partnerships with the United Kingdom,” he said. — Joana Suleiman
DRUGS
Lawmakers push to restore medical marijuana language to VA bill
A group of 11 lawmakers is asking the House and Senate leadership to restore language to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill. Even though both chambers backed the legislation, the medical provision was dropped during a conference committee review.
“We feel the failure of the conferees to include either provision is a drastic misfortune for veterans and contrary to the will of both chambers as demonstrated by the strong bipartisan support of these provisions,” the supporters wrote to congressional leaders on June 28.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., one of the sponsors of the bill, slammed the move as outrageous. The other two sponsors of the bill are Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
“To add insult to injury, the legislation was released in the middle of the night, not even giving members of the House an opportunity to review the language before voting on it,” Blumenauer told the Stars & Stripes newspaper.
Lawmakers said the medical marijuana provision had “broad bipartisan support” and “should have been non-negotiable.”
The amendment would not change current laws preventing the possession or dispensing of marijuana at VA medical centers and hospitals. It would lift prohibitions by not allowing the VA to enforce the current directive that bars its doctors from recommending medical marijuana to patients and assisting them in taking part in state programs.
No one on the conference committee, made up of lawmakers from the Senate and House appropriations committees, has taken credit for pulling the language from the bill.
Marijuana has been approved to treat some medical conditions in 26 states and the District of Columbia. Sixteen states have passed laws that allow for medical use of compounds derived from cannabis plants. — Joana Suleiman
EDUCATION
Obama insiders want to buy for-profit college
The University of Phoenix, the for-profit college that has faced scrutiny for high prices, low graduation rates and aggressive recruiting, is awaiting approval for a $1.1 billion deal to sell itself to a group of private equity investors led by former deputy education secretary Tony Miller — who is expected to become its chairman if the sale is approved.
President Obama’s ties to the for-profit industry have been scrutinized since February, when Vistria Group, a firm founded by his friend Marty Nesbitt, announced it was among a group of investors in negotiations to buy Apollo Education Group, the company that owns the University of Phoenix.
In a February release, Miller, who is chief operating officer of Vistria Group, said he was “excited by the opportunity to build on the transformational work being done by the company” and planned to “continue supporting the organization’s commitment to operating in a manner consistent with the highest ethical standards.”
But some are wary of the deal, first reported by Politico. The Wall Street Journal wrote in an op-ed earlier this year: “So the for-profit education industry was allegedly a student-abusing wreck. But now we are told that under Mr. Miller, Apollo will be a paragon of virtue. When did this alleged corporate villain of the Obama era suddenly become dedicated to the welfare of its customers?”
If the Department of Education approves the deal for the company to go private, the public won’t have as much information about issues such as executive pay. Most of the university’s revenue comes from taxpayer-funded federal financial aid for students.
“The danger really here is that the University of Phoenix goes private, lulls us into believing that they’ve fixed everything, goes public again, and then we have a repeat of the problems we’ve seen in the past,” said Robert Shireman, who once led the Obama administration’s crackdown on for-profit colleges as former deputy undersecretary of education. — Joana Suleiman
HEALTHCARE
Zika vaccines show progress in mice
A recent study found that two experimental Zika vaccines work in mice, just as human trials for other candidates are expected in the next few months.
The vaccine trial comes as the National Institutes of Health tries to plot its course for clinicial trials of Zika vaccine candidates. NIH has enough money for a small human clinical trial later this summer, but beyond that it is tapped out, officials have said.
Lawmakers are battling over how much money to give to fight the Zika virus, with the Senate unable to pass a $1.1 billion funding package due to objections from Democrats over several policy riders and the amount of funding. Democrats want to give the Zika battle the $1.9 billion that President Obama requested in February.
The recent study, which was published in the journal Nature, found that a single dose of two experimental vaccines protected mice from a major viral strain responsible for Zika’s outbreak in Brazil, NIH said.
The agency cautioned that the results don’t necessarily mean the vaccine candidates can work in humans, but said that it is an “encouraging milestone on the road toward a much-needed Zika vaccine for humans.”
More than 1,100 Zika cases have been found in the U.S., mostly in people who recently traveled to regions where the Zika virus is spreading through mosquitoes. — Robert King
HEALTHCARE
Sanders wants FDA to fight firm blocking generics
Sen. Bernie Sanders is wading into the Food and Drug Administration’s drug approval process, saying the agency needs to approve a generic alternative for cholesterol drug Crestor.
The Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate joined seven House and Senate lawmakers in sending a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf demanding he not cave to pressure from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, which wants the FDA to not approve any generic alternative to Crestor.
“Crestor is one of the world’s most widely prescribed medicines for high cholesterol, with global sales of more than $5 billion last year, including $2.8 billion in the United States,” according to the letter. “FDA approval of generic versions of this drug has the potential to drastically reduce healthcare costs.”
Sanders noted that AstraZeneca sued the FDA to block all Crestor generic approvals, with the company arguing it received more market exclusivity to sell Crestor to children with a rare genetic disease.
The Orphan Drug Act gives drugmakers a longer monopoly on product sales if the drug helps treat a rare disease.
The letter said the additional market exclusivity doesn’t apply to all uses, “especially those no longer protected by patents or exclusivities.”
Sanders made prescription drug prices a part of his insurgent presidential campaign, railing against drug companies that have jacked up prices. — Robert King
ENERGY
Hawaii says aloha to offshore wind
The Interior Department is moving ahead with the next phase of President Obama’s climate agenda by examining the prospects of making his home state of Hawaii a leader in offshore wind energy development.
The agency issued a call for information to gauge the interest of the wind industry in developing commercial wind leases in two areas totaling 485,000 acres off the island of Oahu.
The development of the wind leases could be a potential boon for Hawaii, which suffers from the highest energy prices in the nation due to its dependence on imported fuels.
The potential development of the leases could make Hawaii a bellwether for offshore wind development, which has suffered from significant pushback in mainland states looking to develop the resource.
“Hawaii has important offshore wind energy potential, and we will continue our work with stakeholders across the spectrum to create a path forward for sustainable offshore energy development in the right places with the lowest conflicts across the Aloha State,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.
The agency said the potential development of offshore wind would fall in line with the Aloha State’s 100 percent renewable energy goal by 2045. — John Siciliano
