Weber Times

On Friday, July 12th, Congressman Blake Moore welcomed the House Ways and Means Committee to Utah’s First District for a field hearing on medical innovation and health care access. The event also included a tour of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Welfare Square.

Titled “Access to Health Care in America: Unleashing Medical Innovation and Economic Prosperity,” the field hearing took place at ARUP Laboratory in Salt Lake City. It brought together members of the Ways and Means Committee, Utah lawmakers Rep. Burgess Owens and Rep. Celeste Maloy, innovators in the medical industry, local media, and the public. This gathering provided an opportunity for members to learn about Utah’s medical innovation industry and its impact on local economies.

Members questioned witnesses on topics such as the impact of tax incentives on directing investments toward medical innovation, collaboration between state and federal policymakers to promote access to advanced treatments, and support for R&D projects to maintain the United States' leadership in medical innovation. Witnesses offered valuable insights to committee members as they develop policy proposals aimed at making America healthier.

“It was an honor to have my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee join me in Utah’s First District for a field hearing on the importance of medical innovation and its impact on economic prosperity,” said Congressman Blake Moore. “Utah has long led the way in medical innovation and breakthroughs, and I am grateful for the opportunity to showcase Utah’s achievements in this field. Thank you to all the innovators, practitioners, and policymakers who helped make this field hearing happen. I look forward to continuing my work on the Ways and Means Committee to better promote medical innovation on the federal level.”

Before the hearing, committee members toured Welfare Square to learn about how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides resources and job training for individuals while promoting self-reliance. The Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over federal welfare programs; thus members visited facilities such as Bishops’ Storehouse, Deseret Industries, and Deseret Dairy Products.

Congressman Moore is noted as being the first Republican from Utah ever serving on this prestigious committee where he advocates for solutions related to health care, taxes, welfare, trade, Social Security, Medicare that align with Utah’s effective policy frameworks.

Press Coverage:

Deseret News: Rep. Blake Moore touts Utah’s innovation in health care at congressional hearing in Salt Lake City

KSL: Congressional committee tours Welfare Square

Church News: ‘An innate desire to help others’: 8 members of U.S. Congress tour Welfare Square

ARUP Laboratories: ARUP Welcomes Members of the U.S. House for a Healthcare Innovation Field Hearing

Bio.News: BIO Board member and head of BioUtah testify at House field hearing