Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Featured Stories
Report From House Oversight Democrats Highlights Costly DOGE Efforts to Harm Federal Workers and Public Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (TNSrpt) -- The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers issued the following news:
* * *
Report from House Oversight Democrats Highlights Costly DOGE Efforts to Harm Federal Workers and Public Service
A new report from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, raises serious concerns about the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its impact on taxpayers, federal workers, and public services. IFPTE thanks Rep. Garcia and the House Oversight Committee staff for their investigative
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (TNSrpt) -- The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers issued the following news:
* * *
Report from House Oversight Democrats Highlights Costly DOGE Efforts to Harm Federal Workers and Public Service
A new report from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, raises serious concerns about the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its impact on taxpayers, federal workers, and public services. IFPTE thanks Rep. Garcia and the House Oversight Committee staff for their investigativework and looks forward to working with the Committee to advance necessary reforms that strengthens federal agencies' ability to efficiently and effectively deliver services. The report concludes that government oversight must serve the American people, not powerful interests
The report gathers evidence that shows DOGE's actions have undermined their ability to carry out federal agencies' missions, create instability across agencies, and intentionally damaged federal workforce morale and performance. Oversight Democrats found that the Trump Administration directed an estimated $81 million to DOGE operations with virtually no transparency or accountability mechanisms. The report further concludes that DOGE has cost Americans billions in damage, waste, and suffering--reinforcing workers' concerns that poorly designed "efficiency" initiatives can instead create chaos and weaken agencies.
According to the report, DOGE has served "as a smokescreen to make billionaires richer at the expense of hardworking Americans," jeopardizing both federal programs and the workforce that sustains them.
* * *
REPORT: https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/imo/media/doc/doge_report.pdf
* * *
Original text here: https://www.ifpte.org/news/new-report-from-house-oversight-democratsnbsphighlights-costly-doge-efforts-to-harm-federal-workers-and-public-service
[Category: Engineering]
OAH 2026 Election Results
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana, Feb. 14 -- The Organization of American Historians issued the following news on Feb. 13, 2026:
* * *
OAH 2026 Election Results
The OAH is pleased to announce the results of the 2026 election. The individuals listed below will take their seats on the Executive Board after the 2026 OAH Conference on American History in Philadelphia, April 16-19.
President: Marc Stein, San Francisco State University
President-Elect: Natalia Molina, University of Southern California
Vice President: Thomas J. Sugrue, New York University
The new members elected to the Executive Board are:
... Show Full Article
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana, Feb. 14 -- The Organization of American Historians issued the following news on Feb. 13, 2026:
* * *
OAH 2026 Election Results
The OAH is pleased to announce the results of the 2026 election. The individuals listed below will take their seats on the Executive Board after the 2026 OAH Conference on American History in Philadelphia, April 16-19.
President: Marc Stein, San Francisco State University
President-Elect: Natalia Molina, University of Southern California
Vice President: Thomas J. Sugrue, New York University
The new members elected to the Executive Board are:
* Catherine Ceniza Choy, University of California, Berkeley
* Brenda J. Child, University of Minnesota
* Liz Covart, Ben Franklin's World
The new members elected to the Nominating Board are:
* Megan McGregor, Austin Community College
* Kumiko Noguchi, Meiji Gakuin University
* Ronald Angelo Johnson, Baylor University
The elected candidates will join the 2026-2027 OAH Executive Board:
* Jay S. Goodgold, Treasurer
* Annette Gordon-Reed, Harvard University, Immediate Past President
* David W. Blight, Yale University, Past President
* Deirdre Cooper Owens, University of Connecticut
* Tera Hunter, Princeton University
* LaGarrett King, University at Buffalo
* Crystal Moten, Obama Presidential Center Museum
* Erika Perez, University of Arizona
* Donna Schuele, California State University, Los Angeles
* Beth English (ex officio)
* Stephen D. Andrews (ex officio)
* * *
Original text here: https://www.oah.org/2026/02/13/oah-2026-election-results/
[Category: Economics]
No Labels Issues Commentary: Why is the Healthcare Sector Outperforming the Rest of the US Economy?
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- No Labels, a political organization that advocates for centrism and bipartisanship, issued the following commentary on Feb. 13, 2026, by senior writer Sam Zickar:
* * *
Why is the Healthcare Sector Outperforming the Rest of the US Economy?
An aging population is spending more on health and wellness, less on everything else
The January jobs report - released on February 11 - confirmed what labor economists have been warning about for months: the United States labor market growth is increasingly a one-sector story, and that sector is healthcare.
Healthcare added 82,000
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- No Labels, a political organization that advocates for centrism and bipartisanship, issued the following commentary on Feb. 13, 2026, by senior writer Sam Zickar:
* * *
Why is the Healthcare Sector Outperforming the Rest of the US Economy?
An aging population is spending more on health and wellness, less on everything else
The January jobs report - released on February 11 - confirmed what labor economists have been warning about for months: the United States labor market growth is increasingly a one-sector story, and that sector is healthcare.
Healthcare added 82,000jobs in January, accounting for the vast majority of the 130,000 total jobs added that month. This was not a fluke. In November, healthcare drove 72 percent of all job gains. Over the course of 2025, the sector added roughly 695,000 jobs while the broader economy essentially flatlined, with revised data showing the country added a mere 181,000 total jobs for the entire year. Strip out healthcare, and the picture is close to stagnation.
Three forces explain why healthcare keeps hiring while much of the rest of the economy does not.
1. The Peak 65 wave is here.
Driven by the Baby Boomer generation, the United States is in the middle of the largest surge of Americans reaching retirement age in history. In 2025 alone, roughly 11,400 people turned 65 each day. The 65-and-older population reached 61.2 million in 2024 and now accounts for 18 percent of all Americans, up from 12.4 percent two decades ago. Older adults need more medical care. They visit specialists more frequently, fill more prescriptions, and require more hospitalizations and home health services. This is not a trend that fluctuates with consumer confidence or interest rates. It is a demographic fact baked into the population structure for the next two decades, as all 73 million baby boomers move through their 70s and 80s.
2. Chronic disease is epidemic and getting worse.
Ninety percent of the nation's $4.9 trillion in annual healthcare spending goes to people with chronic and mental health conditions, according to the CDC. As of 2023, 76 percent of American adults reported at least one chronic condition, and more than half had two or more. These figures are rising among younger adults as well, with chronic disease prevalence among 18-to-34-year-olds climbing seven percentage points in the last decade. More chronic illness means more ongoing medical visits, more prescriptions, more lab work, and more staff to manage it all. Healthcare demand is structurally insulated from the kind of pullback hitting retail, manufacturing, and professional services.
3. AI investment is reshaping the economy in ways that bypass healthcare.
Companies poured an estimated $342 billion into AI-related capital expenditures in 2025, a 62 percent increase from the prior year. That spending has propped up headline GDP figures but has done little to create broad-based employment. Data centers employ relatively few workers once built. Meanwhile, AI tools are actively replacing entry-level positions in finance, technology, professional services, and other white-collar fields. Healthcare, by contrast, remains fundamentally labor-intensive. You cannot (yet) automate a nurse changing a wound dressing, a physical therapist guiding rehabilitation, or a home health aide helping an elderly patient out of bed. Indeed, those are the very sorts of positions economists rank as among the least vulnerable to automation. The sector's resistance to automation is, right now, its greatest labor market advantage.
The result is an economy where the single most reliable source of job creation is driven not by innovation or consumer demand, but by the simple reality that Americans are older, sicker, and in need of more care than ever before.
* * *
Sam Zickar is Senior Writer at No Labels. He earned a degree in Modern History and International Relations from the University of St Andrews and previously worked in various writing and communications roles in Congress. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area and enjoys exercise and spending time in nature.
* * *
Original text here: https://nolabels.org/the-latest/why-is-the-healthcare-sector-outperforming-the-rest-of-the-us-economy/
[Category: Political]
NTI's First Asian Nuclear Security Dialogue Advances Action Plans for Regional Cooperation
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Nuclear Threat Initiative issued the following news on Feb. 13, 2026:
* * *
NTI's First Asian Nuclear Security Dialogue Advances Action Plans for Regional Cooperation
Government officials and experts from a dozen countries gathered in Osaka, Japan for the first NTI Asian Nuclear Security Dialogue from February 2-4, 2026, to chart practical steps for strengthening nuclear security across Asia. The dialogue highlighted the importance of translating ideas into implementable actions, amid an evolving regional nuclear security landscape that includes rapidly evolving risks
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Nuclear Threat Initiative issued the following news on Feb. 13, 2026:
* * *
NTI's First Asian Nuclear Security Dialogue Advances Action Plans for Regional Cooperation
Government officials and experts from a dozen countries gathered in Osaka, Japan for the first NTI Asian Nuclear Security Dialogue from February 2-4, 2026, to chart practical steps for strengthening nuclear security across Asia. The dialogue highlighted the importance of translating ideas into implementable actions, amid an evolving regional nuclear security landscape that includes rapidly evolving risksand growing interest in nuclear energy. NTI convened the dialogue in partnership with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and the Japan Institute of International Affairs, and with generous support from the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Peterson Foundation.
During the discussions, regulators, diplomats, military leaders, and practitioners identified opportunities for cooperation to address emerging risks and developed concrete action plans tailored to the diversity of regulatory capacities, threat perceptions, and technological environments across the region. Participants proposed actions ranging from leveraging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as a forum for nuclear security information sharing and confidence building, to convening a summit of nuclear security centers of excellence, to developing a tabletop exercise for regional practitioners that simulates cross-border crisis communication. Participants also explored regional approaches to improving global nuclear security efforts, which included strengthening implementation of the Amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and using regional organizations to promote transparency, accountability, and sustained political attention to nuclear security globally.
The dialogue created a much-needed forum to address regional and subregional priorities, opportunities, and challenges that all require an approach that balances international best practices with the realities of geography, politics, and level of technological maturity. Participants emphasized the importance of such flexibility in the context of rapid nuclear energy expansion, the proliferation of emerging technologies, and complex geopolitical dynamics.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.nti.org/news/ntis-first-asian-nuclear-security-dialogue-advances-action-plans-for-regional-cooperation/
[Category: National Defense]
Food & Water Watch: House Ag Committee Set to Reveal Disastrous Farm Bill Draft
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 [Category: Science] -- The Food and Water Watch posted the following news release on Feb. 13, 2026:
* * *
House Ag Committee Set to Reveal Disastrous Farm Bill Draft
"Any Farm Bill proposal that includes the Cancer Gag Act and EATS Act must be dead on arrival"
*
House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson is reportedly set to release a draft Farm Bill as early as today. The draft is expected to include continued attacks on federal food assistance through the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and contain several controversial industry-backed poison pills, including:
*
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 [Category: Science] -- The Food and Water Watch posted the following news release on Feb. 13, 2026:
* * *
House Ag Committee Set to Reveal Disastrous Farm Bill Draft
"Any Farm Bill proposal that includes the Cancer Gag Act and EATS Act must be dead on arrival"
*
House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson is reportedly set to release a draft Farm Bill as early as today. The draft is expected to include continued attacks on federal food assistance through the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and contain several controversial industry-backed poison pills, including:
*The Cancer Gag Act, which would shield pesticide corporations from health-related lawsuits. Food & Water Watch research catalogues Roundup-producer Bayer's quest for immunity. Bayer has spent over $11 billion settling more than 100,000 cancer lawsuits related to Roundup's active ingredient glyphosate, which the World Health Organization deems "probably carcinogenic to humans."
* The EATS Act, re-introduced this session as the Save Our Bacon Act, which would strip state and local governments of their ability to pass agricultural policies within their own borders, overturning hundreds of state laws.
Food & Water Watch Managing Director of Policy and Litigation Mitch Jones issued the following statement:
"Any Farm Bill proposal that includes the Cancer Gag Act and EATS Act must be dead on arrival. These Big Ag poison pills will tank any hope of a fair Farm Bill. Families and farmers are hungry for federal policy that supports small- and mid-sized producers and keeps food affordable. Instead, Chairman Thompson appears poised to check off industry's cruel wish list.
"America needs a fair Farm Bill. It is imperative that this Farm Bill repeal all Trump SNAP cuts and restore full funding to this critical nutrition program; stop the proliferation of factory farms; and support the transition to sustainable, affordable food."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2026/02/13/house-ag-committee-set-to-reveal-disastrous-farm-bill-draft/
Earthjustice: Judge Upholds Wisconsin DNR's Permit for Line 5 Oil Pipeline
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Feb. 14 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Feb. 13, 2026:
* * *
Judge Upholds Wisconsin DNR's Permit for Line 5 Oil Pipeline
Bad River Band and environmental groups weigh next steps
*
Madison, WI -- An administrative law judge today upheld a key permit granted last year by Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for Canadian company Enbridge to build 41 miles of new oil pipeline through the watershed of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northern Wisconsin.
Bad River Band Chairwoman Elizabeth Arbuckle said: "For generations,
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Feb. 14 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Feb. 13, 2026:
* * *
Judge Upholds Wisconsin DNR's Permit for Line 5 Oil Pipeline
Bad River Band and environmental groups weigh next steps
*
Madison, WI -- An administrative law judge today upheld a key permit granted last year by Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for Canadian company Enbridge to build 41 miles of new oil pipeline through the watershed of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northern Wisconsin.
Bad River Band Chairwoman Elizabeth Arbuckle said: "For generations,the Bad River - Mashkiiziibii--and the waters that flow into Lake Superior have nurtured our healthy walleye, sustained our wild rice beds, and kept our community vibrant and strong. The Band River watershed is not an oil pipeline corridor that exists to serve Enbridge's profits. It is our homeland. We are disappointed but not surprised by this decision upholding Enbridge's unlawful permit, and we will appeal it."
Clean Wisconsin Attorney Evan Feinauer said: "Despite this ruling, the evidence presented during the hearing remains undeniable: Enbridge's Line 5 reroute poses significant long-term risks to wetlands, waterways, and treaty-protected resources in northern Wisconsin. Experts testified that the DNR underestimated ecological impacts, relied on an inadequate monitoring plan, and overlooked Enbridge's troubling history of environmental violations. This decision does not erase those facts. Clean Wisconsin will continue to fight for strong water protections and accountability from companies whose projects endanger Wisconsin's environment."
Earthjustice Senior Associate Attorney John Petoskey said: "Today's decision ignores strong evidence that the DNR broke the law when it approved the Line 5 reroute. Enbridge's project threatens permanent damage to the Band's treaty-protected water, plants, and medicines, all for the enrichment of a foreign oil pipeline company. The Band will continue to fight to protect their interests and halt construction."
Midwest Environmental Advocates Senior Staff Attorney Rob Lee said: "While today's decision is a disappointing setback, it does not diminish our resolve or end our responsibility to protect Wisconsin's waters from the irreversible harm this project threatens to cause. The record in this case is clear, and our work is far from over. Based on the significant legal issues presented and the strength of the record, we believe there is a strong basis for appellate review, and we are considering all appropriate next steps."
Elizabeth Ward, Chapter Director of Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter said: "It has been an honor to work with our partners--including Tribal leaders, community advocates, and environmental groups--to prevent new construction on Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline. While we are disappointed in today's decision, we remain committed to ensuring that Wisconsin's wetlands and waterways are protected and Enbridge is never again allowed to show the kind of disregard for environmental regulations they did during Line 3 construction in Minnesota. Ultimately, this doesn't change the fact that Line 5 must be shut down to protect the Great Lakes and our climate."
Debra Cronmiller, Executive Director of League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, said: "The League of Women Voters is committed to protecting ecologically sensitive terrain, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, advancing renewable energy, and supporting Tribal sovereignty and treaty rights. We took a stand against Enbridge's pipeline project because it was inconsistent with those values. Despite today's setback, we resolve to continue fighting for a healthy, just, and sustainable future for all Wisconsin communities."
Emily Park, Co-Executive Director of 350 Wisconsin, said: "350 Wisconsin is proud to stand with those who challenged the permits for this dangerous and destructive product. Every effort to oppose the construction of new pipeline infrastructure builds power in the broader movement to end our reliance on dirty fossil fuels. Instead of facilitating more carbon emissions, we should be investing in renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and technologies that will help us transition to a clean energy future."
Enbridge aims to reroute a section of its Line 5 pipeline that currently trespasses on the Band's reservation before its court-ordered shutdown in June of 2026. The Bad River Band, represented by Earthjustice, joined Clean Wisconsin and Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of Sierra Club, 350 Wisconsin, and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin in a contested case challenge, arguing that the DNR violated state environmental laws when it approved the permit.
During a six-week contested case hearing last fall, attorneys and expert witnesses presented evidence showing that the DNR permitted the project without fully understanding the risks. The project would entail blasting, horizontal drilling, or trenching through at least 186 waterways and 101 acres of high-quality wetlands that drain into Lake Superior. In separate litigation, the Band is challenging the US Army Corps' permit for the project in federal court.
* * *
Additional Resources
* Bad River Band Challenges Wisconsin's Line 5 Reroute Permits (https://earthjustice.org/press/2025/bad-river-band-challenges-federal-approval-for-line-5-reroute)
* Bad River Band Challenges Wisconsin's Line 5 Reroute Permits (https://earthjustice.org/press/2024/bad-river-band-challenges-wisconsins-line-5-reroute-permits)
* Related case documents & news (https://earthjustice.org/library?_case=line-5-enbridge-wisconsin-reroute)
* About the Midwest Office (https://earthjustice.org/office/midwest)
* About the Tribal Partnerships Program (https://earthjustice.org/office/tribal-partnerships)
* * *
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
* * *
Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/judge-upholds-wisconsin-dnrs-permit-for-line-5-oil-pipeline
[Category: Environment]
Americans for Tax Reform: 50+ Free Market Groups, Advocates Oppose Codification of Most-Favored-Nation Drug Pricing
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary on Feb. 12, 2026:
* * *
50+ Free Market Groups, Advocates Oppose Codification of Most-Favored-Nation Drug Pricing
Isabelle Marchese
Today, Americans for Tax Reform, with 52 other free market groups and advocates, released a coalition letter urging members of Congress to oppose the codification of most-favored-nation (MFN) drug pricing.
The letter argues that, in addition to doing nothing to address foreign freeloading, MFN would reduce access to new cures and reduce U.S. global competitiveness, ceding ground to
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following commentary on Feb. 12, 2026:
* * *
50+ Free Market Groups, Advocates Oppose Codification of Most-Favored-Nation Drug Pricing
Isabelle Marchese
Today, Americans for Tax Reform, with 52 other free market groups and advocates, released a coalition letter urging members of Congress to oppose the codification of most-favored-nation (MFN) drug pricing.
The letter argues that, in addition to doing nothing to address foreign freeloading, MFN would reduce access to new cures and reduce U.S. global competitiveness, ceding ground toChina.
Instead, lawmakers should focus on reforms that unleash the free market and protect intellectual property rights, encouraging competition and innovation. These policies lower drug costs over time while expanding patient choice and preserving incentives for lifesaving medical breakthroughs. Diplomatic pressure should be brought to bear on foreign governments to insist that they begin to pay their freight.
To read the letter in full, click here or see below (https://atr.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2-12-2026-ATR-Coalition-Letter-Against-Codifying-MFN.pdf).
* * *
February 12th, 2026
To: The Honorable Members, United States Congress, Washington, D.C. 20515
RE: Coalition Opposing the Codification of Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing
Dear Members of Congress,
We, the undersigned organizations, write in opposition to codifying a Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) prescription drug pricing model into law.
In addition to doing nothing to address foreign freeloading, MFN would reduce access to new cures and reduce U.S. global competitiveness, ceding ground to China.
While supporters of this proposal correctly identify the unique problems facing the American health care system - namely, wealthy countries paying artificially lower prices for prescription drugs than the U.S. and the fact that this depresses innovation and inflates our costs - MFN would not solve these problems. In fact, it would exacerbate them.
Instead, lawmakers should focus on reforms that unleash the free market and protect intellectual property rights, encouraging competition and innovation. These policies lower drug costs over time while expanding patient choice and preserving incentives for lifesaving medical breakthroughs. Diplomatic pressure should be brought to bear on foreign governments to insist that they begin to pay their freight.
MFN would do nothing to stop foreign freeloading.
MFN would surrender to foreign freeloading by basing U.S. prices on the prices of countries with socialist policies. Supporters of MFN hope that it will incentivize manufacturers to negotiate better deals. However, this is based on the flawed assumption that American manufacturers are not already fighting as hard as they can against foreign price controls.
There is little or no negotiation between foreign governments and manufacturers, forcing innovators to accept lower prices in a "take-it-or-leave it" proposition. The fact is that European countries would likely retaliate if pharmaceutical manufacturers took offensive action to try to negotiate away from government-set prices. For example, if a pharmaceutical company withdrew from a market, a European government could revoke its patents. Article 5 of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property allows for compulsory licensing if a company declines to sell its product.
Additionally, if multiple companies were to withdraw from a market, the European Commission could accuse said companies of "cartel-like strategy" to manipulate prices, a violation of EU competition law. In the EU, "cartel participation" carries high penalties, including fines up to 10 percent of the company's worldwide, total revenue over a year. In certain cases, it could also result in fines and imprisonment of specific individuals.
MFN would reduce access to new cures.
If the U.S. implements the same price controls utilized by foreign countries, companies cannot expect to recuperate the R&D costs for the medicines they create. This will depress innovation and reduce cures available to patients while causing an unacceptable degree of drug shortages.
According to a study by the Galen Institute, patients in the U.S. had access to nearly 90 percent of new medical substances launched between 2011 and 2018. By contrast, other developed countries had a fraction of these new cures. Patients in the United Kingdom had 60 percent of new substances, Japan had 50 percent, Canada had 44 percent, and Spain had 14 percent.
The drug development industry already faces a high level of risk in recouping R&D costs. During an average drug development process, a manufacturer must invest an average of $2.6 billion and spend 11.5 to 15 years in research and development. In addition, most drug development programs fail. As detailed by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF), for 5,000 to 10,000 compounds screened during basic drug discovery phases, 250 molecular compounds (2.5 to 5 percent) make it to preclinical testing. Of the 250 molecular compounds, 5 make it to clinical testing. Thus, as little as 0.05 percent of drugs make it from drug discovery to clinical trials. Of the few medicines that make it to clinical testing, only about 12 percent of medicines that begin clinical trials are approved for introduction by the FDA. Even if a drug is approved, it is likely that the profits from said drug will not recoup its R&D costs.
MFN would reduce the United States' global competitiveness in medical innovation.
Not only is this lack of innovation a threat to patients and the health of future patients, but it would cause the United States to be a follower, not a leader, in medical innovation. At a time when China is rapidly narrowing the innovation gap, causing our research and development to stagnate or fall would seal our fate as second-best in biotechnology.
ITIF describes the ways in which China is catching up to the U.S. in biotech:
* Clinical trial activity in China more than doubled from 2,979 trials in 2017 to 6,497 trials in 2021. Alternatively, the United States saw only a 10 percent increase during this time, from 4,557 to 5,008 trials.
* Chinese oncology trials grew 146 percent from 1,040 in 2017 to 2,564 in 2021, the highest for any country. In the United States, oncology clinical trials grew from 1,664 in 2017 to 1,690 in 2021, a 1.56 percent increase.
* China increased its global share of value-added pharmaceuticals output from roughly 5.6 percent in 2002 to 24.2 percent in 2019.
* From 2013 to 2023, the number of biotech PCT patents awarded to Chinese entities increased by more than 720 percent, from 266 to 1,920, exceeding the European Union's annual number starting in 2021. The number of patents awarded to U.S. filers over the same period increased by 67 percent.
* China's share of global biotechnology venture capital raised grew from a mere 3.5 percent in 2010 to 18.9 percent in 2020. At the same time, the U.S. share declined from about 68.6 percent to 62.1 percent.
We urge all members of Congress to oppose codifying an MFN drug pricing model.
Unfortunately, this policy would not cause other countries to pay their fair share of the cost of prescription drugs. Instead, it would import socialist price controls and values into our country. Medical innovation in the U.S. would take a significant hit, harming patients and ceding the U.S.'s position as the world's biotech leader to China.
Signed,
Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform
Tim Chapman, President, Advancing American Freedom
Saulius "Saul" Anuzis, President, American Association of Senior Citizens
Marty Connors, Chair, Alabama Center Right Coalition
Phil Kerpen, President, American Commitment
Tirzah Duren, President, American Consumer Institute
Dee Stewart, President, Americans for a Balanced Budget
Richard Manning, President, Americans for Limited Government
Rea S. Hederman Jr., Vice President of Policy, The Buckeye Institute
Anthony J. Zagotta, President, Center for American Principles
Ryan Ellis, President, Center for a Free Economy
Daniel J. Mitchell, President, Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Jeffrey Mazzella, President, Center for Individual Freedom
Ginevra Joyce-Myers, Executive Director, Center for Innovation and Free Enterprise (CIFE)
Bob Johnson, Senior Advisor, Commitment to Seniors
Jeremy Nighohossian, Senior Fellow and Economist, Competitive Enterprise Institute
James Edwards, Executive Director, Conservatives for Property Rights
Matthew Kandrach, President, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy
Elizabeth Hayes, Head of External Affairs, Consumer Choice Center
Sal Nuzzo, Executive Director, Consumers Defense
Joel C. White, President, Council for Affordable Health Coverage
Tom Schatz, President, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Kendall Cotton, President and CEO, Frontier Institute
George Landrith, President, Frontiers of Freedom
Mario H. Lopez, President, Hispanic Leadership Fund
Stephen Ezell, VP for Global Innovation Policy, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Bartlett Cleland, Executive Director, Innovation Economy Alliance
Tom Giovanetti, President, Institute for Policy Innovation
Andrew Langer, President, Institute for Liberty
Annette Olson, Chief Executive Officer, The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy, Inc.
Brian Balfour, Senior VP of Research, John Locke Foundation
Alfredo Ortiz, CEO, Job Creators Network
Carlos F. Orta, President & CEO, The Latino Coalition
Charles Sauer, President, Market Institute
Emily Stack, Executive Director, Moms for America Action
Chris Cargill, President, Mountain States Policy Center
Pete Sepp, President, National Taxpayers Union
Gerard Kassar, State Chairman, New York State Conservative Party
Sally Pipes, President and CEO, Pacific Research Institute
Daniel J. Erspamer, Chief Executive Officer, Pelican Institute for Public Policy
Lorenzo Montanari, Executive Director, Property Rights Alliance
Paul Gessing, President, Rio Grande Foundation
James Erwin, Executive Director, Digital Liberty, Interim Director, Shareholder Advocacy Forum
James L. Martin, Founder/Chairman, 60 Plus Association
Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
Kerri Toloczko, Chair, Southwest Florida Center Right Coalition
David Miller, Chair, Center Right Southwest Ohio
David Williams, President, Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Kent Kaiser, Ph.D., Executive Director, Trade Alliance to Promote Prosperity
Steve Moore, Co-Founder, Unleash Prosperity Now
Morton Blackwell, Virginia Republican National Committeeman
Kevin Riffe, Chairman, West Virginia Center Right Coalition
* * *
Original text here: https://atr.org/50-free-market-groups-advocates-oppose-codification-of-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing/
[Category: Political]
