Published 10/24/23; Updated 10/25/23, 4:30 pm ET

The wait for a new House of Representatives speaker has ended with Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana. With that business handled, looming large is the emergency supplemental spending package for Israel and Ukraine, which President Biden sent to Congress late last week. The Senate is expected to move soon, with an Appropriations Committee hearing scheduled for October 31.

Questions remain whether the House will cut a deal to avoid a government shutdown on November 17 and negotiate a permanent solution to fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations. The Speaker is championing the House to pass a stopgap spending bill through January 15 or April 15, whichever can garner more GOP support.

Of note regarding 2024 FY appropriations, UMDF has successfully advocated for the inclusion of language in the House and Senate FY 2024 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS)-Education appropriations report that encourages the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand its funding of primary mitochondrial disease research, accelerate its outreach and collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) related to research that may lead to future mitochondrial disease-related drug approval, and ensure that the role of mitochondrial impairment is fully explored in the agency’s research portfolio. 

Additionally, UMDF continues to have mitochondrial disease retained as eligible for research funding for the Department of Defense (DOD)’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program, which has provided significant funding to mitochondrial disease research efforts since 2016. UMDF will annually advocate for the inclusion of language and funding related to mitochondrial disease research at the NIH, DOD, and other agencies, and will continue to educate Congressional appropriators about the importance of increased funding for mitochondrial disease research.