WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Gregg Harper (R-MS) today issued the following statement following a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report showcasing the opioid crisis is intensifying in our communities.
“This report echoes what we have been hearing across our own districts and in meetings to advance legislation to help stem the tide. While the reforms included in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act are being implemented on the frontlines, it is clear that there is more we can do to help rid our communities of this scourge," said Walden, Burgess, and Harper. “The report has some unsettling findings that we must get to the bottom of, in order to combat this crisis. We will continue our all-hands-on-deck approach by working with the administration and stakeholders to bring relief to those suffering."
Specifically, the report highlighted that within the course of just one year, hospitalizations due to opioid overdoses spiked by 30 percent across 45 states.
In recent weeks the committee announced three hearings to review legislation pertaining to bolstering enforcement and protecting communities, enhancing our public health and prevention efforts, and examining insurance and coverage issues. Chairman Walden has also repeatedly stressed having legislation to combat the opioid crisis through the House before the Memorial Day district work period.
