a The Democratic congressman on Wednesday blasted a bipartisan set of proposals targeting addiction, arguing that current congressional efforts will barely scratch the surface of the US drug crisis.
The criticism of Rep. Paul Tonko (DN.Y.) spoke at a subcommittee hearing where lawmakers brought forward several bills targeting the substance abuse and overdose epidemic.
While acknowledging that the package contains “some good policies,” Tonko said the bills currently under consideration “lack ambition” — a major rebuke from one of Capitol Hill’s leading advocates for addiction treatment expansion.
“Let’s not kid ourselves: we won’t make it to the moment,” Tonko said at the hearing. “This package falls far short of the necessary steps to address the deep needs of this crisis. We all know the magnitude of the devastating disease of addiction. Frankly, I am disappointed that there is not the will to think big enough to tackle this crisis.”
In particular, Tonko denounced the committee’s exclusion of two proposals related to incarceration: one that would preserve access to addiction treatment for people awaiting trial for criminal charges, and another that would restore Medicaid coverage for people within 30 days of release from prison.
Tonko’s comments came during a House Energy and Commerce Committee draft of a number of largely incremental proposals targeting drug use. Many of the bills would reauthorize programs first introduced as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, a major addiction bill that Congress passed in 2018.
Since then, however, Capitol Hill has paid relatively little attention to the addiction crisis, with more than 100,000 Americans dying of drug overdoses each year. Drug deaths have risen and substances like fentanyl and xylazine have made the illicit drug supply in the US deadlier than ever, but the country’s infrastructure for preventing and treating addiction has remained largely unchanged.
Major proposals, such as major deregulation and expansion of methadone treatment, have been left on Capitol Hill. The few bills that became law, such as Tonko’s proposal to abolish the “X-waiver” — a special license required to prescribe buprenorphine, a common drug used to treat opioid addiction — have been celebrated by public health advocates. But it’s unclear whether they led directly to improved access to treatment.
Most importantly, proponents say, Congress has not done enough to fund addiction treatment, even as it sets aside billions of dollars not only for the response to Covid-19, but also for health emergencies much smaller than the drug epidemic, such as Mpox or Ebola.
“I know some people will talk about the cost of these bills, and I’ve been told that for some this isn’t a priority worth paying for,” Tonko said. “Shame on us. If nearly 110,000 of our loved ones died of drug overdoses last year, how could we fail to make progress in one of the most effective ways we can save lives? What is their life worth?”
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