After leading recent efforts in the Senate to combat the nation’s opioid crisis, U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Rob Portman (R-OH) attended a White House event on Thursday where President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency.
With drug overdose deaths in 2016 expected to exceed 64,000, according to the White House, Portman and Capito praised the president’s declaration as an important next step. But they also highlighted the need for further action.
“West Virginia has suffered so much because of the opioid epidemic,” Capito said. “We have lost friends, neighbors and family members, and we have seen entire communities torn apart by its devastating consequences.”
Capito said the president’s declaration will make it easier for the federal government to respond to the crisis and will help expand access to services for those suffering from addiction.
Portman said the prescription drug epidemic has grown into a national crisis, and that it’s growing worse.
“The president’s decision to declare this epidemic a public health emergency is a positive step forward, and I’m hopeful it will lead to a better coordinated federal response to this crisis,” Portman said. “I have spoken to the president in depth about this epidemic and the devastating impact it is having on our communities in Ohio and around the country, and I know he is committed to addressing it in a comprehensive way. I look forward to seeing the final recommendations of the president’s opioid commission in the coming weeks.”
Trump established the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis in March to make recommendations for improving the federal response to the opioid epidemic.
Capito said the president’s action is part of what must be a broad national effort to address the epidemic. “Communities in West Virginia and across the country need more resources for recovery, treatment and enforcement, and it’s essential that we do what we can to provide the support they need,” she said. “As a leader on the Appropriations Committee, I have worked hard to secure funding to fight the opioid epidemic on all fronts, and I will continue pushing and advocating for much-needed resources.”
Portman also highlighted the need for further legislative action, noting that he is working to advance four bipartisan bills: the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act, the Prescription Drug Monitoring Act, the Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion Act, and the Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies Act.
Portman also was the author of the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) that was signed into law last year. CARA focuses federal resources on evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery programs in communities.
“The American people deserve a comprehensive plan to help turn the tide of addiction, and that will require a greater sense of urgency on the part of the administration, this Congress, and key stakeholders in this debate.”