May 1, 2025
Mr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. King, Mr. Welch, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Booker, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Smith, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Luján, Mr. Whitehouse, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Mr. Warner) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should withdraw a reduction in public notice and comment opportunities.
Whereas public participation in the regulatory process is essential to the formulation of fair and sound policy;
Whereas open rulemaking mitigates the possibility of arbitrary, harmful, and ill-advised rulemaking;
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services has successfully adhered to Administrative Procedure Act notice and comment period procedures for 54 years;
Whereas the daily lives of millions of Americans are profoundly affected by the regulations that are issued by the Department of Health and Human Services; and
Whereas it is critical that program beneficiaries, State and local governments, human services providers, and organizations continue to be afforded the opportunity for input whenever Health and Human Services regulatory changes are proposed:
Now, therefore, be it
That it is the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should withdraw the notice published in the Federal Register on March 3, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 11029) that would reduce public notice and comment opportunities, and affirm practices as in effect on February 27, 2025, which involve the public in rulemaking procedures.