Washington, D.C. –Today, Rep. Tom MacArthur, co-chair of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force, testified before the House Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Macarthur urged Congress to appropriate funding authorized by CARA and the 21st Century Cures Act that will help communities combat the heroin crisis.
“Last year, the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force helped shape and pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and the 21st Century Cures Act,” said Rep. MacArthur. “Both of these landmark pieces of legislation authorized funding to combat the heroin epidemic. It’s now up to Congress to appropriate these funds that will provide critical support to our state and local governments currently fighting this crisis. Last year, Congress made a promise to help our communities – now Congress needs to fulfill that promise. I have seen this epidemic up close and personal. In Ocean County, NJ – my home county – someone dies of an overdose every 43 hours, so I’m urging Congress to act now and give our states the resources they need to fight back against this epidemic.”
“In 2015, drug and opioid overdose caused more deaths than motor vehicle accidents,” said Rep. Tom Cole, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. “On average, a death involving an opioid occurs every 16 minutes. To address this problem, the House Fiscal Year 2017 bill proposed to increase funding for substance abuse by over 180 percent. I support funding for the programs authorized in both the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and 21st Century Cures Act.”
Members of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force, including Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), and Congressman Patrick Meehan (PA-07) also testified before relevant House Appropriations subcommittees on appropriating these funds.