Experts in the News

The American Health Care Act (AHCA), the GOP's effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, narrowly passed the House of Representatives in a vote on Thursday. Vivian Ho, director of the Center for Health and Biosciences, spoke to various outlets about what this legislation could mean for the future of health care in the United States, if it is passed by the Senate and becomes law.

Texas Senate Bill 1010 and House Bill 2249 would require public schools to provide the state with information on how many students in attendance have obtained non-medical immunization exemptions. This information would also be made available to parents, allowing them to make more informed decisions about potentially exposing their children to infectious diseases. Baker Institute fellows have conducted research related to this topic, as listed below.

Texas Senate Bill 1392 would require local groundwater districts that draw water from the same aquifers to coordinate and come up with similar groundwater usage rules. Gabriel Collins, Baker Botts Fellow in Energy & Environmental Regulatory Affairs, discusses the potential impact of the legislation in an interview with Houston Public Media.

Following reports that Exxon Mobil had been seeking a waiver from sanctions on Russia to drill for oil in the Black Sea, the Treasury Department announced that it would not issue waivers to U.S. companies. Jim Krane, Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies, noted to Politico that “there seems to be very little upside to singling out Exxon Mobil and Russia for special treatment." Instead, had the Trump administration approved their request, it would "reek of conflict of interest," said Krane.

Peter J. Hotez, fellow in disease and poverty, has been named one of Fortune Magazine's "34 Leaders Who Are Changing Health Care" for his work on deadly infectious diseases around the world. Hotez joins visionaries and advocates such as Bill Gates and former Vice President Joe Biden on the list.