Washington, D.C. –This week the House of Representatives tackled America’s growing drug addiction crisis, and passed 18 bills to address prevention, treatment, education, and enforcement. This important legislation will strengthen programs to educate our nation’s youth, protect pregnant women and newborns, crack down on drug traffickers, and ensure best practices for pain management. The bills included 4 amendments offered by Congressman David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV).

“Opioid abuse has touched all of our lives and has become a national epidemic that we need to fight together. Too many people today are falling victim to the dangers that drugs present,” said McKinley.

“As I travel around West Virginia, I hear from and speak to health care professionals, educators, and family members who have seen loved ones fall into a downward spiral after abusing drugs. We can’t ignore this problem,” McKinley said.

“Fortunately, the House has taken action. These bills are important steps in the right direction and will ultimately protect our communities and save lives. I look forward to working with the Senate and seeing this legislation signed into law,” said McKinley.

For more information about these bills, click here.

Background on McKinley Amendments

Two amendments to H.R. 4641, sponsored by Susan Brooks (R-IN)

·         This amendment requires an inter-agency task force to include a representative from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to review, modify, and update practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication, to ensure a rural community and small town perspective.

·         This amendment, offered with Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) directs the task force to identify and research better alternatives to non-opioid forms of pain management.

Amendment to H.R. 5046, sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI)

·         This amendment, offered with Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) directs the Attorney General to consider a community’s prevalence of opioid abuse and related deaths when awarding grants to states to combat opioid epidemic.

Amendment to H.R. 4982, sponsored by Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

·         This amendment will help strengthen real time data reporting on substance abuse at the local, state, and federal levels.