The White House is trying to drum up momentum for Congress to approve $1.1 billion in new funding to boost treatment options for opioid addicts.
President Obama’s fiscal 2017 budget included $1.1 billion in new funding for prevention, treatment and recovery services, but Congress hasn’t acted on the funding request.
Of the $1.1 billion, about $920 million would be given to states over two years to boost state-level recovery options.
“Everyone who seeks treatment for an opioid disorder should get access,” Michael Botticelli, director of National Drug Control Policy at the White House, said on a call with reporters Tuesday.
The White House sent out a breakdown of where the money would go, with states receiving funding based on the severity of the epidemic in their area.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said that Congress need to step up and add new funding for the issue.
Both the House and the Senate have passed comprehensive legislation to address opioid abuse, but neither package includes new funding. Democrats tried to add $600 million in new funding for treatment options but were rebuffed by Republicans in both chambers.
While the House has named members for a conference with the Senate to reconcile differences between the bills, the Senate has not done the same.
“I think we are not going to see anything happen very soon,” Shaheen said. “That is tragic because in the meantime while we are quibbling about who is on the committee of conference, there are people dying.”
New funding may be difficult to obtain in Congress, as Republicans have been reticent to approve new funding.
The Senate did approve $1.1 billion in new funding to attack the Zika virus, but the House passed a $622 million package with no new funding.
