What exactly are reconciliation and rescission—and why do they matter for your health? In this episode, Steven Newmark, Chief Policy Officer at GHLF, demystifies two powerful — and often misunderstood — budget tools: reconciliation and rescission. What do they mean? How do they bypass the normal budget process? And why do they matter for healthcare, public programs, and patients?

Steven breaks down the differences between these mechanisms, explains where they fit into the broader federal budget process, and examines Congress’s recent $9.4 billion rescission vote. If you care about how Congress funds — or defunds — healthcare, this episode will give you the clarity you need.

Tune in to learn:

• What reconciliation really is, and how it’s used to pass major healthcare policy
• Why rescission gives presidents the power to cancel already-approved spending
• How these tools operate outside the regular appropriations process
• What the latest moves in Congress mean for public health funding in 2025

Among the highlights in this episode:

01:15: Steven explains how budget reconciliation works, including its origins in the 1974 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act

01:57: Steven breaks down why reconciliation is such a powerful tool: it allows bills to pass with a simple majority in the Senate

02:19: Steven introduces rescission, the process for canceling already approved spending, and details President Trump’s recent $9.4 billion rescission request

03:34: Steven discusses the impact of reconciliation and rescission on health care, including potential threats to Medicaid, Medicare, and public health programs

04:32: Steven warns that the use of rescission discourages bipartisan negotiation and risks undermining trust in the budget process

05:23: Steven urges listeners to stay informed, as funding for essential programs could quietly disappear without public scrutiny

05:35: Steven zooms out to explain how reconciliation and rescission fit within the larger federal budget process

06:49: Steven concludes by emphasizing the need for Congress to follow regular order and for advocates to understand budget mechanisms to be effective

Contact Our Host

Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF.

We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to podcasts@ghlf.org

Listen to all episodes of The Health Advocates on our website (https://ghlf.org/the-health-advocates) or on your favorite podcast channel.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Health Advocates, Steven Newmark takes a deep dive into the high-stakes lawsuit against Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Six major medical organizations, and a pregnant physician are challenging Kennedy’s directive to remove COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant people — and they’re asking the courts to intervene. Steven unpacks the legal arguments, explains key concepts like standing and injunctions, and explores what’s at risk for public health, the rule of law, and the integrity of vaccine policy in the U.S.

Among the highlights in this episode:

00:24: Steven introduces a major legal battle against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who removed COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant people

00:53: Overview of the lawsuit filed by top medical organizations and a pregnant physician in Massachusetts

01:27: Steven explains how Kennedy bypassed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and why that matters

03:02: What the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) is and why the plaintiffs argue Kennedy violated it

03:17: The importance of legal standing: How the plaintiffs demonstrate direct harm from the directive

04:11: Steven describes how the directive undermines doctors’ ability to provide evidence-based care and increases patient confusion

05:17: Public health implications: vaccine confidence, potential erosion of trust, and the danger of political interference in scientific guidance

06:09: Steven wraps up with the legal stakes and what this case could mean for future public health policymaking

Contact Our Host

Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF.

We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to podcasts@ghlf.org

Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s episode of The Health Advocates, host Steven Newmark unpacks a whirlwind of health news that could reshape the foundation of U.S. public health. From a major lawsuit against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to record-high measles cases and the quiet cancelation of a critical preventive care meeting, Steven explains what’s at stake. Plus, he shares a hopeful update on bird flu and the importance of defending science-based health policy amid political disruption.

Among the highlights in this episode:

00:56: Steven explains the lawsuit against HHS Secretary RFK Jr. for bypassing CDC and ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) input in changing COVID-19 vaccine guidance

01:33: Steven emphasizes how sidelining scientific advisors erodes public health trust and transparency

02:02: Measles cases hit a 30-year high; Steven explores how vaccine hesitancy has contributed to this preventable public health failure

02:47: Steven discusses how vaccine misinformation puts vulnerable groups like children and immunocompromised people at risk

03:06: Steven shares encouraging news: the CDC has ended its emergency response to the bird flu outbreak due to declining animal infections

03:36: Steven explains how a well-functioning public health system should respond to outbreaks like H5N1

04:11: A last-minute cancellation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force meeting raises concerns about potential political interference

04:37: Steven connects this move to a recent Supreme Court ruling that allows the HHS Secretary to replace members of this influential panel

04:47: Steven warns that this could lead to fewer no-cost preventive services covered by insurance under the ACA

05:12: Steven announces the new season of Let’s Get Personal, which focuses on rheumatoid factor levels in RA. Tune in to the new episodes and explore our related resources at: https://creakyjoints.org/lets-get-personal/

Contact Our Host

Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF.

We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to podcasts@ghlf.org

Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.