The following statement was issued on July 22, 2016.
Today, I signed S.524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 into law. This legislation includes some modest steps to address the opioid epidemic. Given the scope of this crisis, some action is better than none.
However,
I am deeply disappointed that Republicans failed to provide any real
resources for those seeking addiction treatment to get the care that
they need. In fact, they
blocked efforts by Democrats to include $920 million in treatment
funding.
Every
day, 78 Americans die from opioid overdoses. I have heard from too
many families across the country whose lives have been shattered by this
epidemic, including a
mom from Ohio who recently wrote: “There are not near enough facilities
in this area to handle the amount of care that is needed… We need
help.”
My
Administration has been doing everything we can to increase access to
treatment, and I’m going to continue fighting to secure the funding
families desperately need.
In recent days, the law enforcement community, advocates, physicians,
and elected officials from both sides of the aisle have also joined in
this call. Now, it’s up to Republicans to finish the job and provide
adequate funding to deal with this public health
crisis. That’s what the American people deserve.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
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