United States Congress

There has been an increasing presence of heroin and opioid abuse in Michigan which has sadly led to numerous overdoses and deaths. As a member of The Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, I’ve been working with my colleagues to foster awareness, develop best practices, and promote collaboration to address problems associated with heroin addiction. In April 2016, I introduced H.R. 5142, Jessie’s Law, a bill to ensure doctors have access to the information they need so they can safely treat their patients and prevent unknowingly prescribing powerful opioid medications to those struggling with addiction.  In June 2015, I spoke on the House floor in support of funding for funding for local and state law enforcement to tackle issues like heroin and other abused substances. I also questioned the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in December 2015 about the agency’s efforts to address this growing crisis. In December 2015, I cosponsored H.R.4183, which would toughen trafficking penalties for fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic drug that has become increasingly prevalent in drug overdose deaths. Additionally, the fiscal year 2016 budget allocated $372 million in order to combat the growing prescription drug abuse epidemic.  

While local and state partners are on the front lines for addressing this epidemic, the federal government must also do its part. To that end, I am a cosponsor of H.R.2805, which would create a federal task force to develop strategies to fight heroin and opioid abuse. Furthermore, in July 2015, the House passed H.R.1725, which provides states grant funding to fight growing prescription drug abuse, and in November 2015, Congress approved S. 799, which addresses the rise of prenatal opioid abuse and infants suffering from opioid withdrawal.  S. 799 has since been signed into law, P.L. 114-91.

A multipronged response to the heroin epidemic, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), was signed into law in July 2016. CARA passed the House by a 407-5 vote, the Senate by 92-2 vote, and was supported by more than 200 leading advocacy groups, including many in Michigan’s 7th District.