Title: Key Senate and House Committees - AOTA
Headings: Key Senate and House Committees
Key Senate and House Committees
Content: The committee also has a strong focus on workforce issues in health care reform. Senate Finance Committee
This committee, among various other subject matter, oversees health programs under the Social Security Act, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and other health and human services programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund, all of which impacts occupational therapy. This committee has sole or shared jurisdiction over the activities of numerous agencies and offices, including the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS), which includes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and administration for Children and Families, and the Social Security Administration. House Ways and Means Committee
This committee has jurisdiction very similar to that of the Senate Finance Committee. It is considered one of the most influential committees in the Congress because of its power to tax. As with spending bills, tax legislation originates in the House. These are very important players in health care reform. House Energy and Commerce Committee
This committee as a whole has jurisdiction over “health and health facilities (except health care supported by payroll deductions).” More specifically, within its Health Subcommittee, Energy and Commerce works on public health, hospital construction, mental health and research, Medicaid, disability issues, and national health insurance. This committee is actively engaged in health care reform.