Congresswoman Claudia Tenney Secures Priorities to Fight Opioid Addiction in Appropriations Bill

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22), member of the House Financial Services Committee, helped secured critical funding to combat the opioid epidemic plaguing the 22nd District in the FY 2019 Financial Services Appropriations Bill. The bill includes funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), The Drug Free Communities program, The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Small Business Development Centers.

Rep. Tenney has been a longtime advocate for these important programs that provide a comprehensive and targeted approach to combat the opioid epidemic. President Trump's budget proposed to move two grants out of the ONDCP office and reduce funding by nearly 95 percent. The proposal aimed to redirect the ONDCP's two main grant programs, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) grant and the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Act, to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services. Rep. Tenney opposed this move and signed a bipartisan letter to Mick Mulvaney outlining serious concerns. Throughout the past months, Rep. Tenney has championed the efforts to fund these important measures in the House.

"As a member of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force, it's my mission to advance a comprehensive and compassionate solution to reverse the tide of the growing opioid addiction plaguing our communities and tearing apart families. Importantly, this bill provides a total of $415M for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, including $280M for the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program. This funding is critical for our district as Oneida and Broome Counties are both designated as High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas," said Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. "I'll continue to work across the aisle to provide greater resources to combat substance abuse and increase training and resources for our first responders."

Rep. Tenney also voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act which provided an additional $6 billion in funds to combat the opioid crisis and earlier this year, called on the House Appropriations Committee to fully fund the President's Opioid Public Health Emergency Declaration.

The FY 2019 Financial Services Appropriations Bill also encourages growth and development of America's small businesses by providing the opportunity to obtain capital through various Small Business Administration loan programs. Through Rep. Tenney's advocacy, funding was provided for Small Business Development Centers.

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