U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Hosts Roundtable Discussion in Wausau on the Opioid and Heroin Epidemic

WAUSAU, WI – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today hosted a roundtable in Wausau to discuss the opioid and heroin epidemic. Senator Baldwin was joined by local first responders, healthcare providers and community members at North Central Health Care.

“Opioid and heroin abuse is an epidemic in Wisconsin that continues to grow at an alarming rate. I am proud to be working to advance legislation that provides a comprehensive approach to address the entire spectrum of addiction, from crisis to recovery, including: boosting prevention, improving tools for crisis response for those who fall through the cracks, expanding access to treatment, and providing support for lifelong recovery,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today’s discussion showed why Congress needs to do to more to address this crisis and increase federal investments for prevention, treatment and recovery efforts. This is a national emergency and a problem in Wisconsin that deserves bipartisan solutions. As communities in Wisconsin continue to struggle with this epidemic on a daily basis, I will continue to fight for increased resources that are vital to our first responders, healthcare providers and the criminal justice system.”

“The scourge of substance abuse in our community is putting increasing amounts of pressure on our community supports. Senator Baldwin’s visit exemplifies her commitment to researching and addressing this serious issue, and we hope the support of our leaders will make an impact on our ability to provide treatment in the future,” said Laura Scudiere, Human Services Operations Senior Executive, North Central Health Care.

Senator Baldwin has previously held roundtable discussions in Green Bay and La Crosse on the opioid and heroin crisis with local leaders and community members. Last week, the Senate voted to pass the House and Senate Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Conference Committee legislation, which included bipartisan VA reforms that Senator Baldwin authored in the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act. The legislation also included Senator Baldwin’s bipartisan bill with Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) to make naloxone rescue kits more affordable and accessible to our nation’s veterans by eliminating veteran copayments for naloxone.