ASCRS News: Government Relations Update
Summer 2026
by Susanne Hewitt, MD
ASCRS Government Relations Committee Chair
ASCRS Government Relations hosted many activities at the ASCRS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., in April. This was a great way for staff and Committee members to interact with and share with physicians, industry, and other attendees the value and importance that ASCRS Government Relations brings to the table. It also allowed Government Relations to highlight ways that we can help you and your practice, as well as the specialty as a whole. From interaction in the Exhibit Hall to the eyePAC Reception to symposia featuring guest speakers to legislative and FDA updates at SightLine at ASCRS and Subspecialty Day, there was a plethora of valuable information and takeaways.
We were thrilled to welcome some exciting guest speakers to our symposia. Natalie Afshari, MD, moderated the FDA symposium, which featured former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, who made remarks and answered questions about recent FDA decisions and the direction he wants to see the agency move. The session also featured Michelle Tarver, MD, PhD, Center Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), and panelist William Boyd, MD, Director of the Division of Ophthalmology, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).
Dr. Makary discussed how he’s interested in talking about the root causes of the chronic disease epidemic. One thing that brings people together is using scientific objectivity not contaminated by prejudice or industry influence, he said.
He discussed one recent development in making Complete Response Letters public. These outline exactly why a drug isn’t approved. The public deserves to know why, and developers, individuals, and academics deserve to understand how a review works, he said. This also enables the drug developers to understand the process with less guesswork. We had the support internally and the legal clearance to release rejection letters, he said, adding that this decision also helps to address any corporate spin around these letters/rejections. “This creates more accountability, more transparency,” he said.
Another idea that Dr. Makary questioned was if two pivotal trials are needed for every drug to be approved. “I don’t think so,” he said. If you think about basic math, you can achieve the same statistical power with a well-controlled, well-designed single pivotal trial as you can with two. Dr. Makary noted that it’s going to take some time to change this. “We want to,” he said, adding that it will be a change to the culture so that when one pivotal trial can be recommended, that’s what will be put forth. We want to be competitive with the fierce competition we have overseas right now, he said.
Dr. Tarver took to the podium following Dr. Makary to give updates from CDRH. The first thing she acknowledged was that there is so much innovation coming through the doors. Patients are the heart of the work that the FDA does, and we want to make sure they have access to high-quality, safe, and effective medical devices, she said.
Dr. Tarver’s two take-home messages were the importance of looking at the agency as a partner in innovation and that they are committed to finding ways that are safe and effective for devices to reach patients who need them.
Dr. Afshari led a discussion with Dr. Tarver and Dr. Boyd to close out the session. She asked them about the most impactful product or drug approved in the last 5 years.
Dr. Boyd noted several that he thinks have made a big difference, TEPEZZA (teprotumumab-trbw, Amgen), Oxervate (cenegermin-bkbj, Dompé), SYFOVRE (pegcetacoplan injection, Apellis), and Izervay (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution, Astellas Pharma), because these products addressed a gap. For those patients who had no effective therapies, it was remarkable to see the data and see how impactful it was, he said.
Dr. Tarver said the most impactful thing she has seen is the ability for IOLs to more naturally resemble a native lens. That has been a huge journey and has opened up a better quality of life for many patients, she said. There has also been encouraging work where diagnostics are moving into the home, which opens up opportunities for patients who can’t make it to the clinic. Finally, she noted work in the pediatric population.
This year’s invited speaker in the Government Relations symposium was Ron Brownstein. Mr. Brownstein is a Senior Political Analyst for CNN, Bloomberg Opinion Columnist, and former Senior Editor for The Atlantic.
The level of engagement of the public in politics is at an all-time peak. “Americans are invested in the choices we face,” he said. However, Americans are also deeply polarized in the choices we face. Washington is embroiled in policy debates but also on fundamental questions that we don’t have a lot of muscle memory on debating, he said. At the state level, red and blue states are hurtling in opposite directions on issues.
As a country, we’re closely divided but also deeply divided, Mr. Brownstein said. You have a volatile compound. The stakes are higher and more unrelenting, and this shapes the ways politics evolve on a lot of issues.
Voters are treating elections more like parliamentary contests, he said. The key issue isn’t merits; it’s which party you want to see in control of Congress. “We’ve reached a point where the color on the front of the jersey in the elections matters more than the name on the back of the jersey.”
Topics like Medicare reform and what’s going on at the FDA were also front and center at the SightLine at ASCRS meeting, which took place on April 9 before the ASCRS Annual Meeting. The future of Medicare under $38 trillion in debt was one of the topics brought to the session room with Mark Cribben, JD, Director of ASCRS Government Relations, moderating, and Amy Zhou, Senior Policy Advisor for Congresswoman Kim Schrier, MD (a pediatrician), and Austin Welter, Legislative Director to Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (an ophthalmologist), serving as panel experts.
With both panelists involved in health policy and formulation, Mr. Cribben first asked about the top issues regarding the healthcare system and Medicare for their offices.
Ms. Zhou said Congresswoman Schrier is among six other democratic physicians who formed the first-ever democratic doctors caucus, which is working with GOP physician colleagues to push through several priorities, including Medicare reimbursement, prior authorization, oversight for Medicare Advantage plans, and enforcement of the No Surprises Act.
Importantly, Ms. Zhou said there is a lot of bipartisan discussion taking place on these fronts. “Just know there is a lot of really great work, and there is a lot more we agree on than what’s on CNN or any of the news,” she said.
Mr. Welter echoed these sentiments of bipartisanship and the important work being done behind the scenes that doesn’t get talked about.
Read more coverage from all of these sessions on the EyeWorld Onsite website, www.EyeWorldOnsite.org.
Interested in helping with our advocacy efforts? There are two great ways to join us.
ASCRS participates in the Alliance of Specialty Medicine Legislative Fly-In every July in Washington, D.C. The Fly-In gives members the chance to meet with congressional offices and advocate for our priorities. Your presence strengthens our credibility on Capitol Hill and ensures lawmakers hear directly from practicing surgeons. The 2026 Fly-In is July 20–July 22, at the Royal Sonesta Washington, D.C. Capitol Hill. Space is limited. Please reach out to ASCRS Director of Government Relations Mark Cribben, JD (mcribben@ascrs.org), if you are interested. ASCRS will cover registration and accommodation expenses, as well as up to $1,000 in travel expenses.
You can also help us support candidates for federal office who support our issues by donating to the ASCRS political action committee, eyePAC. Your contributions to eyePAC directly fuel our fight to protect cataract surgery and preserve your ability to deliver high-quality care. While your ASCRS membership dues fund elements of ASCRS Government Relations advocacy efforts, only your personal donation made directly to eyePAC can be used to help candidates to the U.S. Congress who support the issues important to our profession. Have a direct impact on protecting your profession today by donating to eyePAC. Every contribution makes a difference!
Contact
Hewitt: suehewitt111@gmail.com
