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Keith Fontenot, one of the Obama administration's top budget experts on healthcare, is leaving the Office of Management and Budget.

Fontenot joined OMB with Peter Orszag, Obama's first budget director. He was a key player in hammering out the details of the Affordable Care Act, and also helped advance healthcare priorities in the 2009 stimulus.

"Keith Fontenot has played an integral role in moving this Administration’s health agenda forward — from historic changes bringing affordable health care to millions, to thoughtful reforms in health programs that are bringing down costs and improving value for all Americans," acting OMB Director Jeff Zients said.

A day after Christie declined to take a position on gay conversion therapy, his spokesman said he opposes the practice.

Leaders with the House Energy and Commerce Committee vowed Wednesday to bring fresh life sciences debates to the fore in the current Congress.

Reps. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) and Michael Burgess (R-Texas), chairman and vice-chairman of the health subcommittee, said they intended to be "more pro-active with our messaging," particularly on issues concerning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Although the FDA is under the administrative branch, we are responsible for the product that they produce," Burgess said in a conversation with reporters. "We darn sure better have the oversight of what they're doing, and why they're doing it." 

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Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) on Wednesday postponed a subcommittee vote on legislation aimed at limiting fraudulent asbestos injury claims.

The Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act, which critics have called an "anti-victim" bill, had been scheduled to move forward Wednesday morning, but Bachus said he would delay the vote a month so the committee could hear testimony from people who have been sickened by the carcinogen.

The Republican parliamentarian reportedly told Bachus several times that the bill needed to proceed and he kept refusing, ultimately saying he would “take it upon himself” to extend the time for testimony. 

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Planned Parenthood's political arm blasted the Republican National Committee (RNC) Monday for releasing a 100-page self-critique that focused on tactics, not policy.

The GOP is in the process of evaluating its 2012 election losses and developing a game plan for the next election cycle.

Critics like Planned Parenthood say the RNC's efforts have discounted the extent to which GOP positions were untenable for women, minorities and centrist voters in 2012.  

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Pelosi says Dems should "take a look" at chained CPI ahead of a caucus meeting with Obama.

The Senate rejected two amendments to the continuing spending resolution on Thursday morning, one of which would have implemented a federal hiring freeze.

Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R-Okla.) amendment would have placed a freeze on the hiring of “nonessential personnel” in the federal government in order to reduce furloughs.

Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-Iowa) amendment would have added an appropriations bill for Labor, Education and Health and Human Services programs to the $984 billion bill that would fund the government through the fiscal year. 

Both amendments were subject to a 60-vote threshold. Coburn’s amendment failed on a 45-54 vote, and Harkin’s amendment was rejected on a 54-45 vote after critics said the amendments would have jeopardized final passage in the House.

The House Ways and Means Health subcommittee's majority staff director is joining Alston & Bird, the firm said Wednesday.

Dan Elling, a longtime healthcare policy staffer, served as aide to former Reps. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) and Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.). The two lawmakers served as chairman and member, respectively, of the Ways and Means Health panel.

Before coming to Washington, Elling analyzed healthcare issues for a market research firm in Minneapolis. He will join Alston & Bird's healthcare group as a senior policy adviser.