For the 2015-2016 congressional campaign election cycle, House and Senate party leaders, as well as incumbents sponsoring industry-supported bills, are attracting significant donations. But one of industry's own, former St Jude Medical employee Angie Craig, is making a run as a Democrat for a House seat in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district. She has received the most donations from industry, in particular from her former St Jude colleagues, campaign funding data compiled by The Gray Sheet shows.

The Senate HELP Committee voted March 9 in favor of a breakthrough device provision, watered down from a version approved in the House last year. Other bills voted out of committee include a combination products reform measure, the digital-health focused MEDTECH Act, and four others. Senators are still debating whether NIH and FDA should get additional funds to cover the cost of the bills, which will be wrapped up into a broader package before Senate floor debate.

Whitaker, appointed as the next CEO of AdvaMed, currently runs day-to-day operations at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization and has held high-level posts at HHS. Among his accomplishments, Whitaker led the legislative office at HHS when the first device user fee bill was passed in 2002.