Today, Ranking Member Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) hosted the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) Oversight and Investigations (O&I) Subcommittee for a field hearing in New Hampshire.  The hearing, entitled “Addressing VA Opioid Prescriptions and Pain Management Practices,” examined current pain management practices within the Veterans Administration and its connection to the ongoing opioid epidemic sweeping across New Hampshire and the rest of the country.

“As Ranking Member on the O&I Subcommittee, it was an honor to bring today’s hearing to New Hampshire and to hold this important conversation with some of the Granite State’s most preeminent leaders on pain management in the veteran community,” said Representative Kuster, Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on O&I. “We know that there is an undeniable link between opioid pain medication and heroin use, and it is our duty to protect our nation’s veterans from misguided pain treatment practices that could put them on the path to addiction. The brave men and women who have served in the Armed Forces have sacrificed so much to protect our way of life, and we must ensure that they receive medical care that will support a healthy, safe transition back to civilian life. What’s more, this hearing opened a discussion between the VA and community leaders that are also working to address the broader heroin epidemic plaguing New Hampshire. I thank my colleagues and today’s witnesses for taking the time to be a part of today’s hearing.”

“It’s clear that VA’s over-reliance on prescription opiates to address chronic pain has been harmful to both veterans and our nation,” said Representative Coffman, Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on O&I. “If it is shown that safe and effective alternative treatments are working at White River Junction or at other VA centers, VA should ensure these programs are implemented nationwide.  I look forward to continuing to work with Representative Kuster on moving these potentially life-changing treatments forward.”

“I’d like to thank the House Veterans Affairs Committee for hosting this important field hearing today in New Hampshire, where we have one of the country’s highest proportions of U.S. military veterans,” said Representative Guinta. “In Congress, my colleagues and I are constantly looking for ways to improve their health care at the Veterans Administration. In the middle of an opiate and heroin epidemic, affecting nearly every demographic, we must be especially careful that vets in need of pain management assistance do not become victims of opiate over-prescription, leading to other forms of drug abuse. As a founding member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, I appreciate the opportunity to hear from the experts and to add their advice to legislative solutions in Congress.”

During the hearing, Rep. Kuster and the participants questioned New Hampshire Attorney General Joe Foster, local service organizations committed to helping veterans with substance use disorder, and representatives from the Manchester and White River Junction VA Medical Centers on a variety of topics related to substance use disorder (SUD) and pain management within the veteran community. The participants’ questions addressed issues surrounding access to alternative pain management therapies, best pain management practices within the VA, and possible reduction in the amount of opioids being prescribed to veterans under the VA’s Opioid Safety Initiative, among other topics.

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 helps to lead the charge in Washington on the need to address the heroin crisis. 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 a 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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