Murray: We Have an Opportunity & Responsibility to “Take Lifesaving Action” for Families Suffering From Opioid Epidemic

Yesterday, Democrat conferees sent a letter urging their Republican counterparts to support $920 million in funding for states

At conference committee meeting, Murray introduces amendment providing desperately needed investments & resources  

Murray: “Without more funding to expand access to medication assisted treatment—states simply won’t have the resources they need to put people on the path to recovery and save lives.”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and a conferee to the bicameral negotiations on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), delivered the following remarks at the conference committee’s first public meeting to consider the CARA legislation. In her remarks, Murray reiterated her call for “new investments in prevention, treatment, and recovery” for opioid addiction and introduced an amendment that would help put these investments and policies into practice for cities and states across the country.

Yesterday, Democrat conferees on the conference committee sent a letter urging their Republican counterparts to support the addition of $920 million in funding—fully paid for by bipartisan offsets—to combat the opioid epidemic.  

Key excerpts from Senator Murray’s remarks:

“I am very concerned that if we pass a bill that changes our nation’s opioid policies, but completely ignores the funding that would enable cities and states to put those policies into practice—that funding might never come.”

“For too many families, there is no “later”. There’s no “next time”.”

“This is the opioid bill this year and frankly, people across the country are running out of time.”

“That’s why I’m introducing an amendment that lays out a clear plan for investing desperately needed resources in preventing and treating opioid addiction—so that families and communities get the relief they are calling for.”

“I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting it—especially since so many of us, on both sides of the aisle, agreed heading into conference that new investments in prevention, treatment, and recovery are necessary.”

“We have an opportunity—and the clear responsibility—to take lifesaving action on this issue today.”

Full text of Senator Murray’s remarks:

“Thank you. I want to start by sharing something that my constituent Penny LeGate, whose daughter died of an overdose, has said before about the opioid epidemic.

“She says, “It can happen to anyone. It is everywhere.”

“Penny is right—no one is immune from this disease.

“In 2014, opioids killed more than 28,000 people nationwide—more than any other year on record.

“The number of heroin overdose deaths nearly quadrupled from 2000 to 2013.

“This epidemic is hurting children, parents, grandparents, friends, and neighbors all across the country.

“So I’m glad we’ve been able to reach bipartisan agreement on many policies we’re debating today—but just changing policies alone won’t be enough.

“We all know that without more funding to expand access to medication assisted treatment—states simply won’t have the resources they need to put people on the path to recovery and save lives.

“I am very concerned that if we pass a bill that changes our nation’s opioid policies, but completely ignores the funding that would enable cities and states to put those policies into practice—that funding might never come.

“For too many families, there is no “later”. There’s no “next time”.

“This is the opioid bill this year and frankly, people across the country are running out of time.

“That’s why I’m introducing an amendment that lays out a clear plan for investing desperately needed resources in preventing and treating opioid addiction—so that families and communities get the relief they are calling for.

“I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting it—especially since so many of us, on both sides of the aisle, agreed heading into conference that new investments in prevention, treatment, and recovery are necessary.

“We have an opportunity—and the clear responsibility—to take lifesaving action on this issue today.

“We have a choice between preventing more of the deaths we’ve all heard too much about—and allowing the status quo to continue.

“For mothers like Penny, and for so many others who are suffering as a result of opioid addiction all across the country, let’s make the right one.”

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