Congress is closer than ever to formally authorizing ARPA-H. But the details aren’t as final as they seem

WASHINGTON — It seemed like the debate over President Biden’s new high-stakes science agency, ARPA-H, was over.

Congress set aside $1 billion in funding. Cities began to lobby to host the new research office’s headquarters. And health secretary Xavier Becerra settled the lone point of controversy: The new agency, he declared in March, will exist not independently, but as a branch of the National Institutes of Health.

But Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) isn’t giving up just yet. On Wednesday, she celebrated the House passage of a bill she authored that formally authorizes the new science office, known as ARPA-H, but also places Eshoo and her colleagues on a collision course with the White House.

STAT+ Exclusive Story

Already have an account? Log in

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+.

Already have an account? Log in

Individual plans

Group plans

Monthly

$39

Totals $468 per year

$39/month Get Started

Totals $468 per year

Starter

$20

for 3 months, then $399/year

$20 for 3 months Get Started

Then $399/year

Annual

$399

Save 15%

$399/year Get Started

Save 15%

11+ Users

Custom

Savings start at 25%!

Request A Quote Request A Quote

Savings start at 25%!

2-10 Users

$300

Annually per user

$300/year Get Started

$300 Annually per user

View All Plans

To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+.

Subscribe

Log In