Long Island, NY - June 13, 2018 - Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), member of the House Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, issued the following statement after voting in favor of 26 bipartisan bills aimed at tackling our nation's growing opioid epidemic, the leading cause of death for Americans under 50, through prevention, treatment and recovery. In addition to the 26 bills passed today, throughout this week, the House will be considering at least 10 additional bills aimed at combating the epidemic.
“As a whole, our nation has been debilitated by the rise of the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic, and with each death this heartbreaking issue continues to become increasingly personal”, said Congressman Zeldin. “This is a disease claiming lives, tearing apart families and destroying our communities. I’ve been to too many wakes as a Member of Congress where a young man or young woman was being buried due to an overdose. Even one young life lost is too many. These are our children, and when it comes to our sons and daughters this couldn’t possibly be any more urgent of a crisis. From law enforcement to local elected officials, medical professionals to members of local community groups, everyone has a role to play in eradicating this devastating epidemic and I am pleased to see so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle working together to eradicate this devastating disease.”
Among the 26 bills passed are measures to develop follow-up protocols after an opioid overdose patient is discharged, allow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research non-addictive pain medications and streamline the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) process of intercepting illicit drugs. A full list of today’s bills can be found here.
In 2016, Congressman Zeldin helped lead the effort to pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) into law, which provides $8.3 billion in federal funding to help combat the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic through treatment, education, enforcement and prevention. As a member of the House Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, Rep. Zeldin has and continues to support legislative initiatives that provide our communities with the tools and resources necessary to combat this growing epidemic.