This afternoon, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) introduced H.R. 5189, the Drug Abuse Crisis Act of 2016. This bill would provide a desperately needed $600 million in federal funding for local communities working to fight the heroin epidemic. Kuster strongly supported the efforts of Senators Shaheen and Ayotte to secure similar funding in the Senate, and she is proud to lead the fight for this funding in the House.

“Across our nation, communities are facing a public health emergency. In my home state of New Hampshire, an individual is more likely to die from a drug overdose than from a car accident. This opioid epidemic simply cannot be allowed to continue,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. “I’ve held a series of regional briefings across the state where I’ve seen firsthand the superb efforts that local advocates, community members, physicians, treatment providers, and law enforcement members are putting in to tackle this challenge head on. But they cannot do it alone. There are simply not enough resources to go around, and as a result individuals struggling to overcome addiction cannot access the treatment they need, and our law enforcement officers do not have enough resources to go full steam ahead and interdict these drugs before they reach our streets. That’s why I’m proud to lead the fight for this crucial funding in the House, and that’s why I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to come together to address this public health crisis now, and give our communities the support they need. Too much is at stake to do otherwise.” 

This week, a number of important bills to address the heroin epidemic are expected to pass through the House. The Drug Abuse Crisis Act would provide $600 million to fund these proposals, and help ensure that they can be properly implemented. The funding in H.R. 5189 would be completely offset and would come at no extra cost to taxpayers.

Congresswoman Kuster has been helping lead the fight in Congress to increase resources for states fighting the opioid epidemic. As co-founder of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, she has put forth a number of legislative proposals to address the opioid crisis – many of which are in the process of being passed in the House this week. However, Kuster believes all efforts to address the crisis must be supported with adequate funding, which is why she introduced H.R. 5189 today.

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