Weekly Democratic Address: Long-Term Spending Agreement Must Include Opioid Funding

In 2016 alone, we lost an estimated 64,000 Americans to drug overdose deaths. In both of the last two years, American life expectancy has decreased — in large part because of the opioid crisis.

Behind those numbers are a lost generation. Moms and dads, sons and daughters, who are dying. And these losses result in a ripple effect of pain and suffering for the family, friends, and communities that they have left behind.

This week, I delivered the Weekly Democratic Address to reiterate that there is an urgent need to significantly increase federal funding to address this crisis and make investments in key programs to combat substance use disorders. The long-term spending agreement must include additional funding to do so.