House leaders vowed to not forget major Senate legislation on the opioid crisis, after being accused by a key senator of dragging their feet on the bill.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., wrote in an op-ed Thursday that his chamber plans to bring a collection of bills to address the opioid abuse epidemic to the House floor next month. The announcement comes about a month after the Senate passed major opioid legislation by a 94-1 vote.
House leadership notes that their effort to address opioids isn’t new, and they haven’t forgotten the Senate’s “Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.”
“Our leadership has been working with the committees of jurisdiction to schedule these bills for the floor since the beginning of the year,” McCarthy spokesman Mike Long told the Washington Examiner.
Long said House committees are reviewing Portman’s Senate bill alongside its own work in the chamber.
“Our goal is to move legislation this spring and work toward a conference with the Senate in order for the president to sign legislation into law,” he said.
Federal figures show that about 72 Americans die each day from opioid addiction, which includes those who die from heroin use and prescription drug abuse.
Sen. Rob Portman urged the House to act fast on adopting CARA. During a speech on the Senate floor Thursday, Portman said he hopes the “talk of hearings and markups isn’t an excuse to delay action.”
He said he took House leaders at their word that they will address the opioid epidemic, but he urged the House act.
“I’m not going to be patient on this. This is urgent. This is a crisis,” he said.
Portman’s comments signaled irritation that the House hasn’t moved on CARA.
Portman said soon after CARA passed in the Senate that he left a voicemail with House Speaker Paul Ryan about getting it through the House quickly, according to a report in the Huffington Post.
Ryan, however, has hinted the House will pursue its own legislation.
During a March 15 press conference, he said that House committees are looking at the opioid epidemic now and “a number of our members have been looking at this issue.”
“We need to make addressing this opioid epidemic a priority, and that is exactly what the House will do,” he said.
McCarthy outlined several bills that are being worked on or already introduced.
They all deal with various facets of the opioid epidemic, as does the comprehensive CARA bill. House members are working on bills aimed at improving treatment, prevention and education for opioid addicts.
House bills also will focus on how to stop the trafficking of opioids and other illegal narcotics.
Another bill to be considered is from Rep. Bob Dold, R-Ill., who introduced legislation in February to expand use of the overdose antidote naloxone. CARA also seeks to expand access to the antidote for first responders.
CARA also has significant support in the House, with more than 100 co-sponsors.
