Earlier this month, Twitter and Facebook blocked and limited distribution of a New York Post article about Hunter Biden’s dealings in Ukraine. These decisions garnered significant backlash from lawmakers and other Americans who called into question the content moderation policies of social media platforms. While the decisions surrounding the New York Post article were likely verified by a human, most initial content moderation decisions are determined by algorithms rather than humans. Algorithms are human created but, depending on their sophistication, can often learn on their own to achieve o... Read More »
October 27, 2020 Dear Friends, Reporting from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows that COVID-19 hospitalizations have climbed recently in Texas. As we wait for developments on therapeutics and vaccines, I hope each of you will continue to wash your hands, wear a mask, and practice social distancing. Everyone has made sacrifices over the past 7 months, and I am thankful that Texans have rallied during these challenging times. I remain committed to ensuring that every resource at the federal level is directed toward public health and economic recovery. Number of COVID-19 Hospita... Read More »
by Ripon Advance News Service U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) joined other members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee to request a briefing from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on its management of the nation’s opioid supply. “This request is in support of a reactivated investigation from committee Republicans, started by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on August 2, 2018, that examined potential breakdowns in the controlled substances supply chain, which may have contributed to the nation’s opioid epidemic, and the role of certain opioid ... Read More »
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. "I appreciate the Senate’s swift action to confirm Judge Barrett,” said Burgess. “I have the utmost confidence that Judge Barrett will follow in the steps of her mentor Justice Scalia, and I have no doubt that she will uphold the highest standards of the court and follow the Constitution." Read More »
Washington, D.C. – Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Dr. Michael Burgess (R-TX), and Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA) wrote to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea to request a briefing on DEA’s management of the supply of opioids in the United States. "Each calendar year, the DEA sets the aggregate production quota (APQ) of controlled substances, including opioids, to ensure that patients have the m... Read More »
Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Dr. Michael Burgess (R-TX) released the following statement ahead of the 2-year anniversary of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act being signed into law. “We are working to overcome the pandemic of a century, but now is not time to let our foot off the gas in the fight against another public health crisis that continues to claim American lives: the opioid epidemic. Two years ago, the ability for communities across the country to overcome the opioid crisis was... Read More »
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement in light of Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Christopher Wray reporting evidence of foreign interference in the 2020 Election. “Americans need to have confidence that our elections are safe and secure,” said Burgess. "It is nothing new that our enemies seek to sow discord to undermine our elections. The greatest threat to their sovereignty is democrac... Read More »
October 23, 2020 Dear Friends, While we work to overcome the pandemic of a century, Congress must continue to fight against another public health crisis: the opioid epidemic. October 24th marks the 2nd anniversary of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act being signed into law. The SUPPORT Act is the largest effort to tackle a single drug epidemic and has provided significant resources to prevent abuse of opioids and support recovery initiatives. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on Americans’ mental health and well-being, which is why the Energy and Commerce Committee continues to... Read More »
by Ripon Advance News Service U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) recently called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a technology assessment of COVID-19 contact tracing applications. The lawmakers’ request would provide additional information to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee Republicans’ work in contact tracing and overall oversight of response efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Rep. Walden, ranking member of the E&C Committee, and Rep. Burgess, ranking member of the E&C Health Subcommittee. They were joined in mak... Read More »
by Susan Morse COVID-19 has brought racial disparities in healthcare to the forefront as the pandemic has cast light on where there are failings. HIMSS this year evolved its annual National Health IT Week to Global Health Equity Week from October 19 to 23, to encourage a global week of action with policymakers and decision-makers, said Terri Ripley, chair of the HIMSS Public Policy Committee, who spoke to HIMSSTV about the committee's work. "Specifically," Ripley said, "we're asking for everyone's help telling Congress to take decisive action to urge members of Congress to enact critical polic... Read More »
