Senate Democrats plan to vote this week for a bill aimed at combating opioid addiction, even though it omits new federal spending they demanded.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Democrats will not block the bill as they had threatened to do.
The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act passed the House last week with Democratic support, creating pressure for Senate Democrats to also back the measure. Durbin said Democrats will back the bill, “making a point that it’s unfunded.”
Passage in the Senate will clear the bill for President Obama to sign it into law. The legislation is aimed at addressing the nation’s growing problem with opioid addiction. It expands treatment and prevention programs and increases and strengthens prescription drug monitoring programs, and would increase among first responders the availability of naloxone, a drug that can revive people who have overdosed on opioids.
The House approved the bill by a vote of 407-5 after Democrats in the lower chamber decided to abandon their opposition.
Democrats attempted to amend the bill with a provision that would have added $920 million in new funding, which they said is needed to provide treatment and services to help addicts recover and prevent addition. That language was defeated by Republicans, who said the measure would receive funding during the regular appropriations process.
The Senate will take up the bill Wednesday.
