| | | | |  | | By Toni Odejimi, Daniel Payne, Ruth Reader and Erin Schumaker | | | | | 
McMorris Rodgers had to cancel a vote on a bill to regulate social media. | AP | Last week’s decision by Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to cancel votes on pending legislation was foreboding news for advocates of the Kids Online Safety Act. A Senate version of the measure, which would require social media sites to stop recommending content promoting suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse and sexual exploitation, as well as tobacco and alcohol advertising, has 69 co-sponsors, suggesting it has the bipartisan support needed to advance. But the House version, which the Energy and Commerce panel was scheduled to consider last Thursday before Rodgers canceled the markup, faces opposition from House Republican leaders, our Olivia Beavers reports. McMorris Rodgers told Beavers that GOP leadership voiced objections and some Republicans on the panel planned to vote no as a result. She blamed “confusion and misrepresentation” for sinking the planned committee vote. The backstory: Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) and Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) are the lead sponsors of the House bill. In the Senate, a version by Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has won the Senate Commerce Committee’s approval. Enactment of a law would represent a major defeat for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other popular sites that have long succeeded in holding off regulation — and open the door to broader legislation to hold the sites liable for any harms they cause. The measure’s proponents say it’s needed to combat a crisis in youth mental health that they blame on social media. Tech firms are fighting the bill, as are advocacy groups on both the left and right. One advocacy group founded by former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) warns that the bill would “institutionalize federal censorship standards related to medical information, making it more difficult to gain accurate information about vaccines, masking and even the harms of sex-change operations for children.” At the same time, advocates for LGBTQ+ kids and the American Civil Liberties Union are also against the bill on the grounds that it could restrict access to supportive communities online. Why it matters: Opposition from House GOP leaders, who control what bills get voted on, is enough to end its chances of enactment this Congress. What’s next? An Energy and Commerce Committee aide, granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said there was no timeline for rescheduling the panel’s vote, typically a prerequisite before it can go to the House floor, and that it was too early to know whether the committee will consider the bill before Congress’ August vacation.
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Hull, Mass. | Shawn Zeller/POLITICO | This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Trying to find ways to relax after a long day could bring more stress, according to Healthline. People can alleviate that “stresslaxed” feeling, when they’re stressed about finding ways to unwind, by setting boundaries between work and home. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com, Daniel Payne at dpayne@politico.com, Ruth Reader at rreader@politico.com, Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com, or Toni Odejimi at aodejimi@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp.
| | |  New legislation would make it easier to study weed's health effects. | AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File | Though marijuana is legal to use recreationally in nearly half of states, and for medical use in more than a quarter, the state of the science about the drug’s effects isn’t as sound as one might think. A bipartisan duo in the House, Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), hopes to boost the evidence by permitting researchers to study marijuana sold in state markets, our Natalie Fertig reports. Their bill would also instruct the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to create a National Cannabis Research Agenda. Why it matters: Under current Drug Enforcement Administration regulations, researchers have to obtain a special license to study marijuana because it’s illegal under federal law. DEA regulates marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning production for research purposes is allowed only with a special license. Researchers can study marijuana only produced under that license — and no cannabis farm or dispensary in a state where marijuana is legal under state law qualifies for a license. The demand for cannabis research has grown with the spread of legalization. There's intense interest in scrutinizing the health benefits and harms, the impact of inhaling the drug and the development of accurate tests for driving under the influence, among other topics. The backstory: The Biden administration has increased the number of farms producing cannabis for research purposes, and a bill signed into law in 2022 makes it easier for scientists to conduct studies. But when the Senate passed that bill in November 2022, the chamber stripped out provisions included in the House version that would have allowed scientists to study cannabis sold to consumers in dispensaries.
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Health care executives are embracing AI, but their employees are nervous, a new survey found. | Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo | Health care leaders hope artificial intelligence and automation of jobs once done by people can ease the impact of staff shortages on patient care, according to medtech giant Philips’ Future Health Index 2024 Global Report. At the same time, the report found the leaders think their employees aren’t as keen on automation because they’re worried about the impact on their jobs and the quality of care provided, our European colleagues reported. How so? The annual survey of 3,000 health care leaders across 14 countries found that 66 percent reported “increased incidence of burnout, stress and mental health issues in their workforce, deterioration of work-life balance, and/or reduced morale and engagement.” And 55 percent said they’re concerned about an increased likelihood of staff leaving. The survey found that the leaders think it’s affecting patient care. More than 3 in 4 said delays in care are an issue. That includes long waiting lists for appointments, delayed or limited access to screenings and further waiting for procedures and treatment. So the leaders said they’re trying to automate more of what they do: 92 percent think automation is “critical” to address staff shortages, and nearly as many said they’re investing in artificial intelligence tools. Even so: Nearly 2 in 3 of the leaders also said their employees are skeptical about the use of automation, expressing concerns about the quality of the tools or overreliance on them. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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