Republicans and Democrats agreed on a health care package that included various policies like reining in drug-industry middlemen and boosting doctor pay. The package was meant to be included in a government funding bill to avoid a shutdown, but President-elect Trump and Elon Musk prevented its passage. While the House Republicans later proposed a pared-down version with basic public health program extensions, many important health policies were excluded. Democrats focused their criticism on the exclusion of provisions to help children with cancer. Congress eventually passed one measure to fund childhood cancer research, but other important pediatric cancer measures were left out. It remains unclear why Republicans dropped the health care package, but they seem to prioritize simplicity in funding legislation over new programs.
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GOP spending bill cut kids cancer research, drawing sharp backlash
