By Wyeth Ruthven, Director of Congressional and Public Relations; Health Industry Distributors Association
The new governing coalition in Washington marks a significant political shift. From trade and tariff policies to tax reforms, the Trump administration’s agenda reflects ambitious goals that could reshape economic and regulatory frameworks. As Congress welcomes a diverse cohort of freshmen lawmakers, including healthcare professionals, new opportunities emerge for bipartisan collaboration and advocacy. For HIDA, these changes underscore the critical importance of engaging with policymakers to ensure the healthcare supply chain’s priorities are heard.
New Balance of Power: The inauguration of President Donald Trump ushers in a Republican trifecta – a governing coalition where one political party controls the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. When Democrats held a trifecta in the first two years of President Biden’s term, they were able to enact a number of their legislative priorities into law. We should expect an unusually productive Congress over the next two years.
New Look at Trade and Tariffs: President Trump calls himself a “tariff man.” He has advocated for tariffs on imported goods as a means to raise revenue, promote domestic manufacturing, and as a negotiation tactic to obtain foreign policy concessions from other nations. His appointments to economic positions (Treasury, Commerce, and U.S. Trade Representative) indicate an aggressive posture towards trade with China.
New Focus on Tax Policy: One of the signature policy achievements of President Trump’s first term was passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 – known in Washington as the “Trump tax cuts.” This package of tax cuts are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. Congress will debate whether targeted tax breaks and deductions for individuals will continue, and whether the corporate tax rate will remain at 21%.
New Faces on Capitol Hill: The new Congress brings a large class of freshmen lawmakers to Capitol Hill – with 13 new Senators and 68 new Representatives. This new cohort is remarkably bipartisan – 7 Senate Republicans, 6 Senate Democrats, 33 House Republicans and 35 House Democrats. Among this class of freshmen are a variety of medical professionals – nurses, family doctors, pulmonologists, and OB-GYNs.
New Opportunities for Outreach: Elections come and go. Four years ago, Democrats had unified political control over Washington. Now the opposite is true. Change is a constant in politics. So is the need to advocate for the medical supply chain.
HIDA serves as the voice for healthcare industry distributors on legislative and regulatory issues, regardless of political party. If you would like to participate in HIDA’s legislative advocacy campaigns, please contact me at ruthven@hida.org.