This morning, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) helped pass The Promise Act out of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The Promise Act aims to increase the safety of opioid therapy among veterans and promote alternative methods of care when possible. As both a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, Kuster has helped to lead the charge in the fight against prescription drug addiction in the veteran community. During today’s hearing, Kuster also invited hearing participants to attend the House Veterans’ Affairs field hearing she plans to hold in New Hampshire on March 4^th, which will also focus specifically on pain management.

“I’m so pleased that my colleagues were able to join together from both sides of the aisle to pass this legislation, which addresses one of the most pressing issues facing our veterans communities today: adequately addressing pain issues while at the same time promoting safe practices in regards to opioid therapy,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. “No veteran should be forced to live his or her life in pain, so we must ensure necessary pain management tools are available. However, the VA and DOD must also properly monitor prescriptions at the VA, and ensure doctors have the training, tools, and resources necessary to prescribe safely and help prevent addiction. This bill takes a great step in the right direction, and I urge my colleagues to support it when it comes to a vote on the floor.”

The bill that passed out of Committee today would direct the VA and the Department of Defense (DOD) to update their Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain, which would mean additional oversight over the prescribing of opioids for outpatient therapy, and the promotion of alternative methods of treatment when appropriate. The new guidelines would also take into better consideration the treatment of patients with a history of substance use disorder, encourage increased case management for patients transitioning from in-patient to outpatient care, and increase the tracking and monitoring of opioid use among veterans.

The bill also includes an amendment introduced by Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and cosponsored by Congresswoman Kuster that would require the VA to disclose information to the state controlled substance monitoring programs. This ensures VA doctors are participating in state programs designed to reduce substance abuse.  All of these measures are meant to cut down on the number of veterans who fall into the dangerous trap of prescription drug addiction, which can often lead to heroin and other opioid misuse.  

Congresswoman Kuster has served on the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee since taking office in 2013. As a result of her leadership on veterans’ issues, last year Kuster was selected to serve as the Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, where she pushes for increased transparency at the VA and increased access to health care and services for veterans across the country. The daughter of a WWII veteran, Congresswoman Kuster has long advocated for the needs of New Hampshire veterans, and she frequently holds veteran roundtables, forums, and job fairs for Granite State veterans across the district.

As addiction to opioids has risen dramatically across the Granite State, Kuster has also prioritized efforts to address the opioid crisis by holding regional briefings to hear directly from local community members, and by highlighting the issue at the federal level through her work in Congress. Last year, Kuster helped introduce bipartisan legislation that aims to attack the epidemic from a number of different angles, including through increased grant funding and improved coordination among federal agencies. As co-founder of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, Kuster brings together experts from federal agencies to coordinate efforts to fight the epidemic. She has also attended ride-alongs with law enforcement officials in Nashua, Keene, and Franklin, providing her with a direct look at the challenges facing law enforcement and local communities. These experiences help Kuster continue to lead efforts in Congress to bring an end to opioid abuse in New Hampshire.

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