Senators Shaheen, Hassan Respond to Reports that White House is Planning to Gut the Office of National Drug Control Policy

(Washington DC) – U.S. Senators Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) issued the following statements on reports that the White House is planning to effectively eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), which currently oversees the National Drug Control Strategy and acts as the lead federal agency working to coordinate policy to combat the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis.

“Time and again, President Trump visited New Hampshire and promised that he would tackle the opioid epidemic head-on. Today’s reports, if true, would represent another broken promise to Granite Staters,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. “This reckless move would pull the rug out from under critical federal opioid response efforts and hinder New Hampshire’s efforts to combat this devastating epidemic. I strongly urge President Trump to publicly commit to preserving this office as well as the important anti-drug programs that it oversees.”

“Reports that the White House is planning to effectively eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy are extremely disturbing,” said Senator Maggie Hassan. “In the face of an opioid crisis that is killing Granite Staters and Americans at unprecedented levels, it would be grossly irresponsible to eliminate the office directly responsible for coordinating the federal government’s response. I am also deeply concerned that the Administration is reportedly planning to eliminate funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program and slash funding for the Drug Court program, which are critical to efforts to combat substance misuse. Those on the front lines of combating this crisis have been clear that they need increased resources from the federal government to strengthen treatment capacity and support law enforcement efforts – and the Office of National Drug Control Policy and these programs have been critical in helping states such as New Hampshire work with the federal government to get the support they need. I urge President Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to immediately reconsider their plan to effectively close this office and eliminate these vital programs.”