This afternoon, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement regarding the President’s proposal to increase funding to address the opioid epidemic in his 2017 Budget:

“The heroin epidemic is taking a devastating toll on thousands of families in the Granite State and across the country. As the cofounder of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, I have long urged the President and Congress to increase funding for this fight. We must ensure that states, advocates, city officials, and medical providers have the resources they need to provide treatment, recovery, support, and life-long care for those suffering from addiction. What’s more, we must increase support for law enforcement officials and first responders, who are risking their lives every day as they work to keep opioids off the street and prevent more senseless deaths from overdose. I thank President Obama for listening to the recommendations of my task force when he proposed an additional $1.1 billion in his budget to go towards fighting this epidemic, and I will not stop working to ensure this proposal is reflected in the final budget process and that it adequately benefits the most at-need states like New Hampshire. ”

The proposal released today by the White House requests an additional $1.1 billion to address the epidemic. Among other things, the proposal would: direct $1 billion in mandatory funding over two years for expanded access to treatment for heroin and prescription drug use; allocate $920 million for states to increase access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders; and provide $50 million in National Health Service Corps funding to increase the accessibility of substance use treatment providers. Approximately 700 providers of medication-assisted treatment and behavioral health treatment in areas across the country lacking in this type of care will be supported by this funding. Additional information about the proposal can be found here.

Congresswoman Kuster plans to testify in front of the Budget Committee tomorrow at 12:15 PM in order to express the importance of including funding for the opioid epidemic. While the President’s budget proposal is hopeful news, Kuster will continue to work to ensure that this funding becomes a reality and that New Hampshire will receive much-needed federal funds to put an end to the epidemic sweeping across the state. 

As the co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, Kuster works to bring together experts from numerous federal agencies to coordinate efforts to combat the epidemic. Earlier this year, she hosted a Special Order in the House to urge her colleagues in Congress to take action; during the Special Order, she and 10 of her colleagues shared on the House Floor the stories of Americans who have been affected by the crisis. Last year, Kuster helped introduce bipartisan legislation that addresses several aspects of combatting the growing heroin epidemic across the country, including the establishment of the Interagency Task Force on Heroin Addiction, the reauthorization of vital drug crisis grants, and the revision of treatment administration guidelines for individuals who are unable to receive take-home treatment, among other provisions. She has also hosted a series of regional briefings across the state to bring together city, state, and federal stakeholders to discuss solutions on the local and federal level, and she has participated in numerous ride-a-longs with members of local law enforcement to get a firsthand look at the challenges they face battling this epidemic and keeping our communities safe.

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