Opioid Commission Ideas a Positive Step, But More Funding Needed to Fight the Opioid Epidemic, DeGette Says
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), Chief Deputy Whip, said today's recommendations by the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis are a positive step, but don't negate the urgent need for increased federal funding to fight the opioid epidemic.
"Several solid, evidence-based recommendations by the commission address parts of the puzzle, but they're not the whole picture. And without adequate funding, that picture will remain grim," DeGette said. "Let's see President Trump and congressional Republicans step up the support this country provides to the fight against opioid abuse.
"Nearly a year ago, we provided a billion dollars for that in the 21st Century Cures Act, which I was proud to co-author and shepherd into law. But that funding was never meant to cover the entire array of tools at the government's disposal, and it lasts only until the end of 2018. The president's budget for next year should reflect the urgency of the opioid crisis."
DeGette is a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health care and has had multiple hearings on the opioid crisis in recent years.