WASHINGTON, DC - The Energy and Commerce Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), has built a strong, bipartisan #RecordOfSuccess. Most recently, President Obama signed into law sweeping legislation to fight the nation’s opioid epidemic - a legislative package that includes over a dozen bills passed by the committee. Beginning with bipartisan oversight hearings in the spring of 2015, the committee gathered insight from experts on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic to see where Congress could play a role. Follow the legislative journey in pictures below, with what started with hearings in March of 2015 and ended up with a sweeping law signed last month.
2015 - #SUBOVERSIGHT EXPLORES A PROBLEM: #SubOversight held a series of hearings that examined the growing problem of prescription drug and heroin abuse nationwide and discussed solutions to confront the crisis head on.
OCTOBER 2015 - #SUBHEALTH EXAMINES LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS: Building upon #SubOversight’s work, #SubHealth held several hearings to review a number of bipartisan bills to combat the growing #OpioidEpidemic.
***
MARCH 10, 2016 - U.S. Senate Passes Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act 94-1.
***
APRIL 20, 2016 - #SUBHEALTH ADVANCES BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS: #SubHealth approved a number of bipartisan bills during a subcommittee markup to address the opioid and drug abuse crisis facing our nation.
APRIL 26-28, 2016 - #FULLCMTE APPROVES BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS: The Energy and Commerce Committee convened a multi-day full committee markup to advance nearly a dozen bills to address the opioid crisis.
MAY 13, 2016 - HOUSE PASSES PACKAGE OF OPIOID BILLS: Committee members Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) participated in a press conference in the U.S. Capitol following House passage of a package of opioid bills that included nearly a dozen that originated in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
***
MAY 17, 2016 - HOUSE SPEAKER RYAN APPOINTS HOUSE GOP CONFEREES - UPTON TO LEAD CONFERENCE MEETING
***
JULY 6, 2016 - HOUSE-SENATE CONFERENCE CONVENES @ 10AM: The bipartisan House and Senate conferees met to review and finalize the opioid conference report. (Watch the full conference meeting in just 20 seconds.)
JULY 6, 2016 - CONFERENCE REPORT FINALIZED IN THE EVENING: After the opioid conference adjourned, members, including Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) signed the conference report. The finalized report contained over a dozen E&C legislative initiatives to attack the opioid and drug abuse epidemic from all sides.
JULY 8, 2016 - HOUSE PASSES SWEEPING OPIOID PACKAGE: The opioid conference report is voted on before the full House and passes overwhelmingly, 407 to 5.
***
JULY 13, 2016 - SENATE FOLLOWS HOUSE AND PASSES OPIOID PACKAGE: The Senate passed the agreed-upon opioid package by a vote of 92 to 2.
***
JULY 14, 2016 - HOUSE-SENATE LEADERS READY BILL FOR PRESIDENT’S SIGNATURE: House and Senate leaders meet in the Rayburn Room just off the House Floor to sign the package and send it to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
July 22, 2016 - SIGNED INTO LAW: President Obama signed the #opioid legislation into law - which included over a dozen bills passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee. As Chairman Upton commented, “In the face of a surging crisis, we came together and got the job done."