U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Continues to Highlight the Need for Washington to Act on Opioid Addiction

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin hosted a roundtable this week in La Crosse at the Coulee Council on Addictions with local first responders, healthcare providers and community members to discuss Wisconsin’s opioid and heroin epidemic. Senator Baldwin continued her call for Washington to act on legislation that provides emergency investments to address the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic that is devastating communities in Wisconsin and across the country.

“Rhetoric is not enough to solve the problem. Communities deserve action from Washington, not obstruction. It’s time to act immediately to supply emergency funding for prevention, treatment and recovery efforts,” Senator Baldwin said. “Too many Republicans have stood in the way. Washington needs to understand that more must been done to provide the resources local communities need.”

This week the Kaiser Family Foundation released a poll that found that sixty-six percent of the public believes the federal government is not doing enough to fight opioid addiction. Lack of access to care for those with substance abuse issues is a major problem, said 58 percent of those surveyed.

Senator Baldwin cosponsored and voted for legislation, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), aimed at promoting a community-based response to heroin and other opioid addictions. The bipartisan legislation passed the Senate in March but House Republicans have failed to act on it.

In addition, she has cosponsored legislation, introduced by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), which would provide supplemental appropriations totaling $600 million to support the work of first responders, healthcare providers and criminal justice system as they continue to respond to this national emergency. In March, the legislation did not receive enough support from Senate Republicans to pass the Senate.