House Passes Rep. Brat's Bill Addressing the Opioid Crisis

Statement

Today, the House passed a bill introduced by Rep. Dave Brat, H.R. 5889, the Recognizing Early Childhood Trauma Related to Substance Abuse Act of 2018. This bill helps children in families battling addiction by getting vital information to caregivers that work with those children. The information helps promote whole-family and multi-generational approaches, including trauma-informed practices to prevent or mitigate longer-term negative impacts.

"This bill encourages a whole-family approach to the opioid crisis. It will help curb the long-term effects of substance abuse and initiate intergenerational healing. I applaud my colleagues for unanimously supporting this measure.

"H.R. 5889 joins over seventy Republican-backed bills passing out of the House this week and next. This crisis effects everyone -- 2 million Americans will suffer from addiction to opiates in 2018 alone. And so, this crisis is personal for all serving in Congress. We hope this slew of bills passing through Congress will begin saving lives and protect our families from this affliction."

This is not the first time Republicans in the House addressed the opioid crisis. Last Congress, the House passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act.

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