Illinois Rep. John Shimkus, a well-known pro-medtech industry bill sponsor, announced on 30 August his plans for a January 2020 retirement. He joins at least 15 Republican House members who recently said they are also ending their Capitol Hill careers, leaving six vacancies on the US House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means panels prior to the 2020 elections.

With an all-Republican House, Senate and administration lined up to lead the government following the 2016 elections, the path is clear for passage of a set of FDA reforms to ease device approvals embedded in a combined House 'Cures' and Senate medical innovation package. It could even happen over the upcoming lame-duck session, before the new administration and Congress take over. But controversy around price-gouging by drug firms still could stymie quick Cures bill passage, an industry attorney predicts. Meanwhile, medtech industry groups plan to seize on the Trump victory as a means to achieve permanent device tax repeal.

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.