Combating the Opioid & Heroin Epidemic
The opioid and heroin epidemic is tearing communities apart in the Granite State and all across the country. This is a public health crisis, and we need to be doing everything we can to strengthen prevention, treatment, and recovery services and strategies. That’s why I co-founded the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force with my former colleague, Representative Frank Guinta (NH-01) in 2015. I have been proud to serve as co-chair of this task force since its inception, most recently with Representative Tom MacArthur (NJ-03).
The Task Force, which has more than 80 congressional members, aims to develop best practices and foster interagency collaboration to address the epidemic. In 2016, the Task Force successfully pushed for the passage of eighteen bills in one week which became part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S.524). The Task Force has also held numerous hearings and briefings, both in Washington and in communities impacted by addiction, to educate lawmakers about effective means to curb the crisis.
In addition to founding the task force, I fought to include funding to address the opioid crisis in the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6), and I introduced Carl’s Law (H.R. 5601), which would require any medication that contains an opiate to include a warning on its label identifying the presence of opioids and the possibility of drug-seeking behavior.
I am committed to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress to bring an end to this deadly epidemic.
More on Combating the Opioid & Heroin Epidemic
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), the founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Heroin and Opioid Task Force, released the following statement on a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed a dramatic increase in deaths due to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl nationally.
(Washington, DC) — U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward Markey (D-MA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with Representatives Katherine Clark (D-MA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Mike Capuano (D-MA), Stephen F.
(Concord, NH) – Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), the founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Heroin and Opioid Task Force, released the following statement on President Trump signing bipartisan, bicameral, and comprehensive opioid legislation into law. The legislation is the result of reconciliation between the House version of the bill, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R.
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Congresswomen Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) and Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced $800,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance to the City of Manchester. This grant will support the Manchester Police Department’s Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team Enhancement (ACERT) Project, which provides services to children exposed to trauma, including substance use, domestic violence and sexual assault.
Dear Friend,
Supporting Those Struggling in the Opioid Crisis
Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Heroin and Opioids Task Force, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH-02) and Congressman Tom MacArthur (R-NJ-03) released a statement following the final passage of bipartisan, bicameral, and comprehensive opioid legislation. The bill now heads to the president’s desk for signature into law. The Bipartisan Heroin and Opioids Task Force has been instrumental in crafting this legislation and has led many initiatives in Congress to better assist communities in fighting the opioid epidemic.