US Political News In Brief

When the Republican choices for House committee chairman were made public, it seems the future House Speaker Newt Gingrich did not always select those who had held the ranking minority seat on the committee. Instead of Carlos Moorhead leading the Energy and Commerce Committee, as had been expected, that position has instead gone to Representative Thomas Bliley.

- Health care reform has been included in the agenda of the Democratic Leadership Council, a moderate Democratic group. This issue does not appear on the House Republican Contract.

- The New York Assembly has been hearing testimony on a bill which would prevent drugmakers from offering huge discounts to larger customers such as Health Maintenance Organizations. Representatives of chain drug stores told the lawmakers that while patients may get initial medications at a reduced rate in the hospital setting, consumers bear the final burden of higher prices in drug stores for maintenance medication.