Congressional Democrats urged President Trump to commit to more funding to fight the opioid epidemic, charging that his emergency declaration Thursday isn’t enough.
Democratic leaders and several lawmakers said Trump’s declaration was a good first step but much more is needed to be done to combat an epidemic that federal data shows kills 91 Americans each day.
“It is deeply concerning that this declaration, which comes a full three months after the President’s Commission on the Opioid Crisis’ report, fails to authorize federal funding to help those Americans locked in a life-or-death struggle with opioid addiction,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi also asked when “will the administration send us a serious request for funding to fight this crisis?”
Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., asked if the declaration “represents a real plan of action or just words on a piece of paper.”
“To date, the president and Republicans have moved in the wrong direction, proposing $1.2 billion in cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eliminating the Prevention and Public Health Fund, and cutting $1.4 trillion from Medicaid,” Levin said, referring partly to cuts in Obamacare repeal bills. “And a preliminary proposal from his administration even called for cutting the Office on National Drug Control Policy by 95 percent.”
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., also called for additional funding to combat the epidemic.
“He should also use the public health emergency to immediately direct Health and Human Services to negotiate lower prices for naloxone, which would help expand access to the lifesaving overdose reversal drug,” she added. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland also called for lower prices of naloxone.
Republicans praised the declaration and some also called for more legislation to address the epidemic.
“While Congress has made some progress in addressing this crisis by enacting the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century CURES Act last year, we can and must do more,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
He then listed four bipartisan bills that address prescription drug monitoring, stopping the spread of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and lifting a cap on Medicaid funding for mental health and substance abuse facilities.
