Shaheen Statement on Final Report from White House Opioid Commission

Washington, DC – Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement in response to the final report issued by the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction:

“I wholeheartedly agree with the majority of the recommendations made by the commission. This report has reaffirmed much of what those on the frontlines in New Hampshire already know needs to be done to reverse the tide of this epidemic, and I hope this report is translated into real initiatives as soon as possible,” said Senator Shaheen. “It’s now up to President Trump to work with Congress in a bipartisan way and keep the promises he made last week to take action, which includes following through on the report’s assertion that additional funding is fundamental to addressing this crisis. Our state saw over 400 deaths from opioid overdoses last year, and today, New Hampshire has more fentanyl overdose deaths per capita than any other state in the nation. As always, I stand ready to work with the President and across the aisle in Congress to provide the critical aid that our communities desperately need.”

Although New Hampshire has the second highest opioid overdose death rate in the nation, on Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will not prioritize states like New Hampshire for necessary federal grants to help combat the public health crisis.

Senator Shaheen is the lead Democrat on the Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee. Senator Shaheen has been a leader in Congress on combating the opioid crisis, and was instrumental in efforts to obtain emergency funding through the 21st Century Cures Act that was signed into law by President Obama last year. Earlier this year, she helped secure over $700 million in additional opioid treatment resources. Last week, Senator Shaheen helped unveil legislation that would provide $45 billion to respond to the opioid crisis, which is the largest response bill to combat the epidemic to date.