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Also: pressure on drug prices in the U.K.; House Republicans mull health-care alternatives; hands off my Medicare; FDA panel votes on Lilly drug.

More: A.M. Vitals: Rare Larynx Transplant Gives Calif. Woman Her Voice Back

The new House Republican majority plans an ambitious drive to slash government spending by tens of billions of dollars. Janet Hook discusses. Also, Mark Hulbert says the outlook for stocks in 2011 is positive, in part because it is a 3rd year of a presidential election cycle, a year that has historically produced strong returns.

Read more here: AM Report: Republicans Put Spending in Cross Hairs/a>

Eyeing a win in November, House Republicans are planning to chip away at the White House’s legislative agenda by depriving the programs of cash. Neil King discusses. Also, as gold reaches new historic highs, Brett Arends attempts to dispel some of the myths about the yellow metal.

See the original post: AM Report: GOP Aims to Erode Obama’s Agenda/a>

Today J&J faces scrutiny from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

View original post here: FDA Inspection Report Cited 20 Violations for J&J

A House panel wants to know how the tests are analyzed in a lab, how accurate they are and how the information is handled.

Excerpt from:  Pathway, 23andMe, Navigenics Gene Tests to Face House Scrutiny

Is antibacterial soap better to cleanse your hands of germs than regular soap and water?

That’s one question weighing on the FDA as it conducts a safety review of triclosan, an ingredient designed to fight bacteria that’s in a variety of consumer products, including liquid hand soap, kitchenware and even some toys and clothing.

The agency disclosed the “scientific and regulatory review of the safety of triclosan in FDA-regulated products,” in a statement posted to its Web site.

It took 14 months of birthing — and there’s still a ittle ground to go before it’s all official — but the health-care overall is effective here. The opinions about what it all means remained mixed, but whether they were for or against the legislation, many health-care groups say they are focused now on trying to improve what they see as flaws. Here are some of extracts from of statements:

In what could be his last public appeal for health-care legislation before a critical House vote, President Barack Obama says Congress is in position to end a century-long struggle over health care by passing his sweeping overhaul. Plus, the Dow finishes lower for the first time in nine sessions; and WSJ’s Amy Chozick joins the News Hub to tell us why a crop of shows with dysfunctional leading women has given Showtime a burst of momentum.

This post by WSJ’s Laura Meckler also appears on the Washington Wire blog

The complex legislative maneuvering to pass health-care overhaul legislation has produced many questions and among them this: When can the White House declare victory?

This post by WSJ’s Naftali Bendavid also appears on the Washington Wire blog.

We’re not doing anything wrong. And besides, the Republicans did it more.

That was much of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s message today as he struck back at critics of the legislative tactics Democrats are using to push through their health overhaul bill. Dismissing the criticism as an inside-the-Beltway fixation, Hoyer said the American public cares about what’s in a bill, not the process by which it passes.