“By passing 18 bills this week to combat the national opioid epidemic, we continue to take meaningful steps to free individuals and families across our nation from addiction”, added Thompson. That harmony seemed worlds apart from the partisan disputes that have hindered recent congressional efforts to address the Zika virus, Puerto Rican debt and the poisoned water of Flint, Michigan.
Advertisement
In 2014, about 28,000 Americans died because of addiction to opioids, which includes both prescription pain killers and heroin overdoses. Their goal: Show voters they’re tackling a problem that’s killing people in America’s biggest cities and smallest towns. The bills’ sponsors included some lawmakers facing competitive re-election races this fall, including GOP Reps.
The stakes have been particularly high for a handful of vulnerable Republicans facing hard reelection battles in places like Ohio, New Hampshire, New York and IL where the opioid crisis is particularly acute.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) is co-author of the CARA bill created to help fight the epidemic of heroin and opioid addiction and overdoses.
U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, R-Willsboro, said she is particularly proud of the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act, which the House passed Thursday after months in the making.
But the White House has asked to approve an additional $1.1 billion in new spending to combat drug abuse.
Democrats being joined by the White House are supporting the bills but also quibbling that little would be achieved without funds. The bill permits the attorney general to give grants to local governments, states and non-profit groups for programs to toughen prescription drug monitoring, improve addiction treatment and widen prevention, education and law enforcement movements, as reported by TribLive. It would be easier for some health care providers to administer overdose reversal drugs, anti-drug programs helping pregnant women and new mothers would be renewed, and curbs would be eased against partially filling some prescriptions a way of reducing unused opioids available to drug abusers.
Ventrell said the bills were “major in terms of message” because they were the first indications in years that Congress was moving toward addressing the issue.
Advertisement
Ms. Stefanik said one of the many driving factors behind the epidemic is the over-prescribing of pain medications, and the task force will help curtail that.
