LAST WEEK
Last week in Washington D.C., the Senate passed the infrastructure package. The $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) passed in a bipartisan vote of 69-30, with every Democrat and 19 Republicans voting for it. The Senate also narrowly approved the $3.5 trillion budget resolution for fiscal year 2022. Congress is now in recess with the Senate returning to full session on Monday, September 13, and the House returning to session on the week of August 23, instead of September 20, as originally scheduled. The early return of the House is to vote on the $3.5 billion budget bill as well as on the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed in the Senate.
On Thursday, President Biden laid out his vision for reducing the high cost of prescription drugs. His proposal, part of his Build Back Better agenda, includes a measure to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
Also last week, The U.S. Census Bureau released data from its 2020 report, tracking a 7.4 percent population increase in Massachusetts over the decade. This growth will likely result in significant adjustments being made to Congressional and state legislative districts, while also opening up the potential for Boston to gain another seat in the state House of Representatives. And, the Baker Administration committed $4 million to an apprenticeship program focused on “connecting women, people of color and those with disabilities with training and employment opportunities. The goal is to help 500 people over the next four years, with a focus on high-demand fields including health care and information technology.”
THIS WEEK
On Thursday, MassBio is participating in the Cambridge Summer Classic 5k Road Race. Members can receive a 15% discount on the race and join MassBio’s team. Learn more here.