Congress members seek federal funds to combat crisis

The opioid epidemic is costing tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars annually.

In the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act, Congress included $1 billion over two years to help combat the epidemic, but several members of Congress are arguing that’s hardly enough.

“Our communities continue to struggle, and there is more we must be doing on the federal level to direct resources toward this problem and help our states and municipalities, who are fighting this epidemic on the front lines,” the group of U.S. Representatives wrote in a letter to White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney. “The persistence of this epidemic has flooded local and state resources, their budgets are being depleted while their needs for increased police and medical care rise.”

In the letter, the group of representatives is asking for Mulvaney’s office to develop a comprehensive funding proposal to Congress to combat the crisis in the next supplemental appropriations bill.

The letter follows in the footsteps of the president declaring the opioid epidemic a public health emergency and his Opioid Commission releasing its report of recommendations to combat the crisis.

Ohio Reps. Dave Joyce, RBainbridge Township, and Tim Ryan, D-Niles, spearheaded the letter.

“The nation has wrongfully stood by and watched this problem became an epidemic,” Joyce said. “The sad truth is that this is affecting more and more families daily in Ohio and families across the United States. “It is no longer acceptable for us to stand by and allow more lives to be lost. In order to do this, we need to know more information and have more resources available sent directly to our communities now.”

Ryan added that during his time in Congress, he’s met with countless local officials and representatives both in Ohio and across the country, who have expressed an argument need for more resources to combat the crisis.

In 2016, a record 4,050 died of drug overdoses, the majority being caused by opioids. In particular the number of overdose deaths caused by the synthetic opioid fentanyl is rising. Last year, more than 58 percent of all drug overdoses in Ohio were attributed to fentanyl. Just four years prior, it made up only 4 percent of the total drug deaths.

“The rise of synthetic opioids are compounding the devastation already being caused by the heroin and opioid addiction epidemic,” Ryan said. “I have urged, and will continue to urge, President Trump and Congress to provide the additional funding needed to our local officials, emergency rooms, treatment facilities, child care services, and law enforcement,”

Joyce, Ryan and the other representatives wrote they would like to work with Mulvaney to determine suitable funding. They want to discuss what they think would be the best next step for his office to “work with the relevant agencies to quantify the amount of resources needed in order for congress to appropriately and responsibly update our efforts in fighting this epidemic.”