WASHINGTON, DC - The Department of Health and Human Services yesterday announced more than $1 billion in grants awarded across all 50 states to help combat the opioid crisis. These grants will be administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The opioid crisis has hit every community and touched millions of families across the country - it truly is the crisis next door. Combating this epidemic requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, and we commend President Trump for taking another important step forward in this fight," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Health Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX). “Over several years, The House of Representatives has worked to end opioid addiction and save lives by passing the 21st Century Cures Act and H.R. 6, The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. We will continue fighting to send more significant legislation to combat the opioid crisis to the President’s desk."
Background:
The Energy and Commerce Committee has led the charge in responding to this epidemic. In the 114th Congress, Congress passed and the President signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act, with the goal of increasing access to care and treatment, as well as providing grants to local communities to help them stop the tide of opioids flowing into our streets, including a portion of the recent grants issued by the Trump Administration.
The committee has continued its effort to combat the opioid crisis into the 115th Congress. Over the course of two weeks in June, the House passed dozens of individual bills to combat the opioid crisis. The vast majority of those bills were included in H.R. 6.
H.R. 6 is a bipartisan bill that will help in our overall efforts to combat the opioid crisis by advancing treatment and recovery initiatives, improving prevention, protecting our communities, and bolstering our efforts to fight deadly illicit synthetic drugs like fentanyl. H.R. 6 passed the House by a vote of 396-14.
