Sen. Murray: Administration Proposal Would Give Washington State the Tools and Resources Needed to Combat Opioid Crisis

Press Release

Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on the Obama Administration's release of new estimates on how much money each state would receive as part of its $1.1 billion funding request to combat the opioid crisis. As part of the proposal, Washington state would be eligible for up to $20 million in additional funding toward efforts to expand access to medication-assisted treatment, prevent overdose deaths, and support community prevention efforts.

"I hear far too often from families, local police chiefs, and community leaders in my home state of Washington and across the country about the tragic impacts of the opioid epidemic," said Senator Patty Murray. "President Obama has laid out a strong proposal to give our communities the tools and resources needed to act. This plan would make a real difference for families who are suffering as a result of this crisis--and there's no good reason this Republican-controlled Congress shouldn't be able to act on it right away."

Senator Patty Murray supported the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), bipartisan legislation on treating and preventing opioid addiction, which passed the Senate overwhelmingly in March. Senator Murray also worked across the aisle on a legislative package to strengthen prevention and treatment of opioid addiction through the health care system, which passed through the HELP Committee in March.

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