Health Subcommittee Holds Legislative Hearing Exploring Bills that Uplift the Public Health of our Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, led a hearing titled Healthier America: Legislative Proposals to Improve Public Health.
“Public health initiatives are essential to improving health outcomes, lowering long-term costs, and moving toward a healthier nation. Today, we discussed ten bills that address the public health and wellness of our country,” said Chairman Griffith. “Investments in initiatives such as disease surveillance, community-based programs, and health education enable more effective responses to both everyday health challenges and emerging threats. By prioritizing prevention, we can help individuals make informed choices and empower them to act sooner. Over time, these efforts also help reduce strain on our health care system by decreasing avoidable hospitalizations and emergency care.”
Watch the full hearing here.
Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:
Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) on H.R. 8205, the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026: “Thank you for being here and sharing your story. It's good to see you. Of course, as you know, my family is personally impacted by neurodegenerative diseases, and I care deeply about these issues. Your testimony notes how investing in ALS research also means investment in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In addition to reauthorizing the ACT for ALS, do you have further recommendations for how Congress can promote innovation for these diseases?” Ms. Abrevaya & Mr. Wallach: “Thank you so much for the question and all of your support. I think one of the examples I shared earlier, one of the great outcomes from the first five years of ACT for ALS is that it incentivized therapeutics companies to take a treatment that is working for ALS and to test it on another neurodegenerative disease. I think that's the real opportunity ahead of us in the next 15 years, is really appreciating the scientific link between FTD, Alzheimer's, [and] Huntington's. All neurodegenerative diseases have cellular similarities, have protein dysfunction similarities, and yet I don't think, to date, we're doing enough to leverage what we're discovering for one disease to see if it would work for another.”
Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12) on the Digital Health Screeners Act of 2026: “I'm encouraged that this Subcommittee has noticed the discussion draft I'm leading to codify the FDA's updated general wellness guidance. This is a critical first step toward providing the agency with clear direction on how wearable technologies can be used appropriately as screening tools, while maintaining strong safety guardrails. Mr. Quashie, can you discuss more broadly the health benefits wearables can provide to our constituents and follow up with that? And how can they play a role in empowering patients to better track and manage their own health outcomes?” Mr. Quashie: “Thank you for that, Congressman. Chair Griffith actually had a great use case for wearables earlier. He was wearing a device. He provided some data about his own body. He was able to act on that data and went to his clinician to get more information and more services. That is a perfect use case.”
Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) on H.R. 4541, the EARLY Act Reauthorization of 2025: “This program works because it leverages partnerships between federal agencies, providers, and community-based organizations to deliver education that is both clinically accurate and culturally appropriate. That's especially important when we consider persistent disparities in breast cancer outcomes among minority and rural populations. From an oversight perspective, reauthorization gives this committee the opportunity to ensure that resources are being used efficiently, that outreach is data driven, and that programs are reaching the populations most at risk. We should also be thinking about how efforts like the EARLY Act can better integrate with broader care delivery reforms—whether that's improving care coordination, supporting survivorship planning, or leveraging technology to expand access to information and services. Young women diagnosed with breast cancer often face more aggressive disease and unique challenges, from delayed diagnosis to complex treatment decisions that can impact fertility, employment, and long-term health. Ensuring they have access to timely information and support is not just good medicine, it's smart health policy. The EARLY Act reflects a bipartisan commitment to prevention, patient education, and closing gaps in care.”